


Heart Pangs

by mmmleckerlecker



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Fatal Vore, Female Prey, Hurt/Comfort, Male Prey, Non-fatal vore, Slow Build, Soft Vore, Vore, Worldbuilding, dare I say friends to enemies?, male pred, maybe a little slow burn, more like hurt with a sprinkling of comfort, ngl this story is very much written For The Angst, probs gonna be much more unwilling tho, safe vore, size difference vore, unlikely friends, unwilling vore, vore as a plot device, willing vore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:26:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 47,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmleckerlecker/pseuds/mmmleckerlecker
Summary: Felix Feuerbach is a predator and Benji Marotta is a prey. Unfortunately, as children, neither of them really understand what that means. As they and their friendship grow, so too does a strange and terrifying instinct within Felix. Can their friendship survive this change? Can Benji? One thing that's for certain is that neither of them could have guessed how many dark corners and twisted tests this friendship would put the both of them through.
Comments: 46
Kudos: 56





	1. The Meeting

Felix Feuerbach and Benji Marotta are in kindergarten when they meet. It’s near the end of the school year when Felix notices Benji alone in the schoolyard and asks him if he wants to play. 

Benji looks at him in surprise. 

Felix is a pred, and at their age, that doesn’t mean much— just that Felix is an inch or two taller than Benji. But Benji knows that, one day, Felix will grow to be quite a bit taller than him— more like two or three feet taller. In fact, that’s the only thing Benji knows of the differences between preds and prey because the world is still a safe place to him.

Even so, despite still being young and the same size and sharing a classroom together, preds and prey mostly stick to their own kind.

Except for, apparently, Felix Feuerbach.

“You mean it?” Benji questions doubtfully.”Yeah, why not?” Felix says with a shrug. “You look lonely over here by yourself.”

There is something cool and friendly about Felix that makes Benji want to say yes to him. And there is something intriguing and soft spoken abut Benji that makes Felix want to know more about him.

By the time summer break begins, Benji is asking his parents if his new best friend Felix can come over to play. This is the first time they’ve heard of Benji having any sort of friend so excitedly they say yes.

Benji’s mom’s face pales when Felix’s mother walks him over the next day, a towering figure on her doorstep. Mrs. Marotta wraps her arms protectively tight around little baby Stephanie, the youngest of her four children.

“You must be Benji’s mom,” Mrs. Feuerbach says with a sparkling grin when they lay eyes on each other. “I’ve heard so much about Benji. Felix has really grown a liking for him.”

Something about the way Felix’s mother says the words puts Mrs. Marotta on edge. Like Benji is only a plaything to Felix. Benji’s mom is about to tell Mrs. Feuerbach to go back home, about to slam the door in her face, but then Benji is rushing out and throwing himself at Felix.

The two tumble over each other in a messy embrace.

“You’re here!” Benji says excitedly to his new friend.

Felix puts a steadying hand on top of Benji’s head. “Yeah, I walked all this way too!”

Benji’s mom watches the interaction with a careful expression. Felix does seem to genuinely view Benji as a friend. And at this age, there is no danger from him to any of her children. She doubts that they’ll remain friends long enough for them to grow older and have that change.

So she plasters on a smile, shifts baby Stephanie to her other hip, and says, “Yes, Benji hasn’t stopped talking about Felix either. Why don’t you leave him here for a few hours? I can watch out for him.”

Mrs. Feuerbach’s smile is unflinching. “That would be so lovely of you. I’ll be back to pick him up before dinner.”

She says her goodbyes to her son and Mrs. Marotta is able to let out a sigh of relief when she’s finally gone.

“Brandon,” Mrs. Marotta calls to her oldest son, “can you go out there with Benji and make sure he’s playing nice with his new friend?”

Brandon is three years older than Benji. He too thinks size is the only difference between preds and prey, but he’s older and more observant than his little brother. In two more years he’ll be old enough for middle school, the point at which prey and preds are sent to separate schools and they first learn the real difference between the two of them. 

And Brandon is smart. He picks up on things that most of his other classmates don’t. He already has an inkling that there’s something darker than just the size difference between he and his classmates.

He also picks up that there’s something more to his mother’s request for him to babysit his brother and new friend. So begrudgingly, but without argument, he agrees and joins the two of them in the yard.

And then there’s Camille. Not much more than a baby but old enough to see when her two older brothers are having fun without her. She cries until her mother lets her out too, telling her brothers to, “play nice.”

Benji and Brendan groan at the sight of Camille stumbling towards them.

Felix brightens. “She’s so cute!” 

He kneels down and Camille runs to him, interested in the friendly new stranger. He immediately scoops her up. Camille laughs with excitement.

“This is so cool!” Felix says after tossing her up and getting her to laugh for a minute straight. After he exhausts her, he lets her sit on his back. “You guys get to live with each other and play whenever you want. You’re so lucky. I wish I could have that.”

“You don’t have any siblings?” Brandon asks.

Felix shakes his head. “No, it’s just me.”

“You’re the lucky one,” Benji says. “You don’t have to put up with her.” He jabs a finger at Camille.

Felix blinks. “But she’s so sweet.”

Brandon laughs. “Just wait til she gets used to you. She’s the bossiest toddler I know.”

Felix ends up staying until evening time when his mother comes back to pick up him up. He doesn’t stop babbling to her about everything they did.

“It sounds like these new friends of yours really know how to show you a good time,” his mother says. Then she gives Benji’s mom a gleaming smile. “Felix loves your children. They’re clearly very entertaining for him. Perhaps he can come by again some time?”

Again, something about her phrasing makes Mrs. Marotta uncomfortable and she wants to deny the proposition. But there’s also something about the woman looming before her, dressed in nicer clothes than she’s ever owned, flashing a dazzlingly straight and white smile, that makes Mrs. Marotta thinks she doesn’t get told “no” a lot, that it would be a bad idea to try to start now. So instead she smiles and says, “Sure, it was a pleasure having him over.”

Felix’s mother seems amused by this but accepts the compliment and leaves with her son in tow.


	2. ‘Someone Like You’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Marotta worries as her prey children, still blissfully unaware of what preds can do, deepen their relationship with their newfound pred friend, Felix. Still, her feelings are conflicted when she sees how kind and caring Felix is towards his prey friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos so far! I did not expect such nice feedback on only the first chapter!

Felix does indeed come back again. In fact, he comes over quite often. 

By the end of the summer, his mother comments to Benji’s, “I think he enjoys being around your family even more than his own. Maybe one day Benji could spend some time at our place.”

The suggestion makes Benji’s mom’s heart drop to her stomach. She’s careful to hide her reaction as she says, “I’m sure Benji would love that someday, but for now I’m too busy with the other kids to bring him over and pick him up.”

For a terrifying second, she fears Mrs. Feuerbach will offer to pick Benji up herself, but instead she gives another winning smile before leaving with her son.

Felix, Mrs. Marotta finds, is surprisingly friendly with her children. Over the course of that one summer, she finds herself growing slightly more comfortable with having him around. She’s not sure if she can ever trust him completely, but with Brandon watching out for Benji and Camille, she can now relax with baby Stephanie while the kids play outside.

She expects that once the school year begins again, Benji and Felix will start to drift apart, but she finds her expectations are wildly inaccurate. They continue spending time together throughout the whole school year. And then the year after that. And then the year after that. Three years go by.

By this point, Camille is 6 years old, the same age Benji and Felix were when they first met. Brandon also finally starts middle school. For the first time he’s separated from other preds his age and he begins learning the real differences between his kind and theirs.

He understands now why his mom has been so cautious of Felix. He understands now why Benji has never been allowed at Felix’s house. He understands now why Felix’s mother always scares him so much. And now? He too is cautious of Felix. He watches his every move when he’s around Benji and Camille. One slip up and Brandon is ready to defend his siblings.

As Benji and Felix grow older, they get more freedom around the neighborhood. They race bikes and haunt the local playground. 

Benji’s family can only afford one bike. Brandon no longer plays with them and Stephanie isn’t old enough to ride yet. So Benji takes the bike, and if they feel nice enough to babysit and let Camille join them, Felix lets her sit on his handlebars.

This works pretty well until, one day, Felix hits a larger than usual bump in the road and Camille goes flying. She hits the ground hard and skins her knees. She’s sobbing as Felix lifts her onto his back and walks her all the way back home. The whole time Benji tells her funny stories to distract her.

She’s no longer crying when they get back to the Marotta household. 

Benji immediately sets off, trying to find bandaids and disinfectant, keeping quiet so his mom doesn’t find out what happened. Meanwhile, Felix lifts Camille onto the counter, wets some paper towels, and carefully cleans the blood and gravel from her knees. Of course, she begins crying again and the sound brings her mom rushing into the kitchen.

“What is going on?” she asks aghast. 

“Camille fell,” Felix says, leaving out the bike part. He doesn’t want Camille banned from bike rides with them for being too dangerous. “I was just helping her out.”

At that moment, Benji rushes in with a box of bandaids, a bag of cotton balls, and a bottle of disinfectant. “I’ve got them!” he says before stopping dead at the sight of his mom. “Oh.”

His mom lets out a long sigh and waves for him to approach Camille. “Go on,” she says, deciding she probably doesn’t want to know the details. “Finish what you started.” Then she steps aside to watch the proceedings.

Benji passes off his findings to Felix who in turn sets them on the counter.

“This will sting for a moment, but it’ll help heal it faster,” Felix says to Camille just before pressing a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant into her knee. He knows the drill. He’s had his fair share of cuts and skins.

Camille gasps and squeezes her eyes shut but bites her lip to keep quiet.

“Great, now the other one,” Felix tells her. When he’s done cleaning, he pulls two bandaids from the box. One by one, he covers her knees with them.

“Better?”

Camille smiles at him through tears and nods. He helps her down from the counter and Benji goes to get her a juice to make her feel better.

“Felix?” Mrs. Marotta says.

He stops, looking guilty, expecting to be told off.

“You’re... you’re very kind for... for someone like you,” Mrs. Marotta says instead.

Felix blinks. He’s not sure what she means by that, but he‘s been taught to be polite so he answers, “Thank you. I was just trying to help.”

After that, he gets pegs for the back tires of his bike so that Camille can stand and hold onto him while they ride.


	3. Lion’s Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benji sneaks off to visit his friend Felix’s house, but soon learns a household of preds is far more intimidating than he could have expected.

With the freedom of biking around the neighborhood, comes the freedom to do things they’ve never been allowed to do.

“Do you think we could ever bike all the way to your house?” Benji asks one day when Camille isn’t with them.

Felix brightens immediately. “Yeah, we could definitely do that. I know the way there. I could show you my room and everything. My dad’s home today too. You could finally see him.”

“Should we go right now?” Benji asks, beaming.

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“The sooner the better,” Benji agrees. “Before my mom notices we’re gone.”

The two take off, flying into new territory. Felix leads the way, he knows the route home well.

“Whoah,” Benji murmurs when he first lays eyes on Felix’s house. It’s big, and not just because it’s a mansion. The door looms over him, clearly meant for someone several feet taller than him. “This is huge.”

Felix drives his bike right into the front yard and jumps off, letting the it fall unceremoniously into the grass. “Come on,” he calls. “Let’s go inside.”

Benji follows him through the giant doors, marveling that Felix can even open them.

“Mom!” Felix calls.

“In the kitchen!”

Felix beckons Benji to follow. They find his mother right where she said she was, stirring something in a bowl. “I brought Benji,” Felix says when his mother is in sight.

Felix’s mother stops mid-stir. “Benji!” she gasps in surprise. “I didn’t realize your mother finally let you come over here.”

Benji tries to hide a sheepish grin.

“Well, we just kinda decided to come here ourselves,” Felix admits.

Felix’s mother’s eyebrows go way up. “Is that so? Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. I’d just hate for your mother to be worried for you.”

“I’ll be back before she even notices I’m gone,” Benji promises.

The corner of Felix’s mother’s mouth goes up. “Of course. Well, I was planning on making brownies for dessert after dinner, but if you’re still around when they come out, I suppose we can eat them early as a snack.”

Benji’s eyes glitter with excitement. “Thank you!”

“Where’s Dad?” Felix asks distractedly.

“He’s in the living room,” Mrs. Feuerbach replies, going back to her baking.

“Great, I want him to meet Benji,” Felix says. He’s too busy dragging Benji to the living room to notice the amused smile his mother gives him.

“Dad?” Felix calls as he enters the living room. “I want you to meet someone.”

Benji comes around the corner of a very large sofa to see a very large tv playing the news and a very large man watching it. The man’s eyes light up when they fall on Benji and he immediately lowers the volume.

“And who’s this?” he asks, leaning forward eagerly in his seat. Benji takes a step back.

“This is Benji,” Felix announces proudly.

Felix’s father’s mouth opens in surprise. “So this is him? The infamous Benji?” He pushes himself to standing, and Benji shrinks even further back.

Felix’s father is tall. Much taller than his mother. And with his deep, booming voice and the way his gaze takes Benji in, Benji can’t help but feel a little fluttering of fear in his chest.

“It’s good to finally meet you,” Mr. Feuerbach continues. “You’re all Felix talks about.” He extends his hand and Benji nearly tumbles backwards in surprise, but Felix puts a steadying hand on his back and pushes him forward.

Benji reaches out his hand and Mr. Feuerbach immediately envelops it in his own. Benji stiffens as he feels how solid and overwhelming Felix’s father’s grip is.

Finally, the man releases him.

“I’m sure you’ll make Felix very happy,” he tells Benji.

Benji isn’t quite sure what he means by that but he manages a nod and a quick, “Thank you.”

“We’re going to go up to my room,” Felix announces.

His father nods. “Go on then.”

Benji doesn’t realize his legs are like jelly until he’s stumbling after Felix upstairs.

“I didn’t know your dad was so big,” Benji mutters quietly once he’s in the safety of Felix’s room.

Felix looks at him curiously. “Mom says I’ll be as big as him someday.”

Benji swallows. He hopes not.

“Here, check this out,” Felix offers, pulling out a box of video games.

Felix has a huge room, and not just because it was built for people much taller than Benji. He even has his own bathroom. He has so many toys and games that Benji isn’t ready to leave when Mrs. Feuerbach calls that the brownies are ready. The two boys rush downstairs. Felix’s mother is already cutting out large slices when they arrive.

“Eat as much as you want,” she says as she pushes a plate towards Benji. And he does. The amount she’s made is far more than Benji’s mom would ever make.

Felix’s dad is there too. He watches Benji with silent interest, occasionally asking him questions about his home life and family. He exchanges a look with his wife when Benji mentions having three other siblings.

Benji doesn’t want to admit how much Felix’s dad unnerves him. He does his best to remain polite and answer all questions directed at him.

Benji feels like he’s eaten a whole meal by the time he’s finished his brownie slice, although no one else seems phased. Internally, he knows his dinner is spoiled. He wonders how much more he can fit when he gets home. Not being able to eat would be a bad way to blow his cover over going to Felix’s house.

“I should probably be heading home,” Benji announces after he manages to down his entire glass of milk.

“You should come back again soon,” Felix’s mother tells him. “Stay a little longer.”

Benji doubts his mother will agree to that. “I’ll try.”

“Do you want me to bike back with you?” Felix asks.

Benji shakes his head. “No, I think I can remember the way.”

Felix walks him outside and hugs him goodbye. For the first time, Benji notices how much taller Felix has gotten over the years he’s known him. He’s no where near as big as his dad, but he’s at least a good head taller now.

“See you tomorrow!” Felix calls when Benji finally rides away.

Benji waves goodbye over his shoulder.

His mom is waiting for him when he gets home.

“Where have you been?” she asks, accusation in her voice.

Stephanie is lurking at her feet, and Benji is sure Brandon and Camille are listening from just around the corner

Benji can’t lie to his mom’s face. “I went over to Felix’s house.”

All the color leaves his mom’s face. “You what? What happened? Did they touch you or hurt you in any way?”

Benji stutters through his story of him riding over with Felix, playing video games, and eating brownies. His mom seems to relax the more he tells.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she breathes. “Just never go over there without telling me first again. Got it?”

Benji nods.

Five minutes later and Camille is grilling him for every detail on what it’s like at Felix’s house. Each passing second, jealousy fills her eyes further.

The next day, Felix doesn’t bike over alone like he usually does. His mother accompanies him.

Benji’s mom looks startled to see her on the doorstep. “What is this?” she asks.

“I’ve come to confess something,” Mrs. Feuerbach says, “about something I let your son get away with yesterday.”

Mrs. Marotta frowns. “He came over. I know, he told me.”

  
Mrs. Feuerbach looks impressed. “Well, that makes this whole thing easier. I only came over to tell you how much we enjoyed having your son yesterday. We loved him so much, that, after Felix proposed the idea, we’d like him to spend the night. Maybe this weekend?”

Benji’s mom sways on her feet. “Oh, I don’t know about that....”

Mrs. Feuerbach puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, but it mostly only makes Mrs. Marotta’s knees weak. “Listen, I think I know what your hesitation is over letting Benji come over to visit.”

“You do?”

Felix’s mother nods. “Mhmm. And I can assure you that you have nothing to fear. We’ll take good care of Benji for as long as Felix wants to be his friend. He belongs to Felix and only Felix. My husband and I respect that. We would never let anything happen to your son outside of Felix’s wants.”

As per usual, Felix’s mother’s odd phrasing puts Mrs. Marotta on edge. But she cannot deny that Mrs. Feuerbach sounds sincere.

“Well, alright,” she finally relents. Mrs. Feuerbach is glowing. “As long as he checks in regularly, I would feel comfortable with him staying the night.”

“Excellent!” Felix’s mother proclaims. “Felix will be overjoyed!”

That weekend, Benji finds himself at Felix’s for the night. The two of them pull out sleeping bags and set up a lava lamp like a camp fire. They spend half the night laying on the floor and talking by the colorful light of the lamp. They’re still up, late into the night, when Felix’s father comes home from work. They fall silent and pretend to be sleeping when they hear him coming upstairs and walking by the closed bedroom door.

The next morning, they’re bleary-eyed when Felix’s mother calls them down for breakfast. Felix’s father doesn’t join them. He’s still sleeping off work, mother says.

Benji goes home safe and sound after breakfast.

Sleepovers then become a more regular thing. Benji likes the darkness and the secrecy of Felix’s bedroom, but he loves it also when Felix comes to spend the night at _his_ house. He and Felix and Camille and sometimes little Stephanie all set up camp in the guest room and play truth or dare or tell scary stories until Benji’s mom tells them off for being too loud.

They never care though. Those are always the best nights.


	4. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Benji grow older and start attending separate schools. Felix finally learns the truth about preds and prey as well as realizes another dark truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter is very heavy on worldbuilding, but there is a little plot at the end! I’m dropping some super mild content warnings in the end notes since they contain very mild spoilers for this chapter. Otherwise, happy reading!

More years go by and Mrs. Marotta keeps thinking that at some point Benji and Felix will grow apart, but it never seems to happen. Felix is always swinging by and crashing at her place like a fifth child. He acts the same as ever, but Mrs. Marotta is growing nervous because he doesn’t quite _look_ the same.

By now, Felix is even taller than her. Benji stands just below his shoulder. Mrs. Marotta is painfully aware that the bigger Felix gets, the greater danger he becomes to her family.

She thinks about how she can politely ask him to never come around her or her family again. She fantasizes scenarios where she had been able to summon the courage to tell Felix’s mother, “no,” that first day they came over. But she knows all that is wishful thinking. She just hopes that, with Felix and Benji finally about to attend separate schools, they won’t have much time to hang out anymore, that they’ll find new friends of their own kind to be around.

Middle school is when things change. It’s when prey and preds are segregated into their own buildings on their own sides of town. Neither Felix nor Benji have ever really questioned why things are this way. That’s just how it’s always been. But once classes start, they learn. They learn why it’s this way.

It’s a whole class for Felix. He gets a crash course on his first day. They teach him all about what makes him and all his new classmates different from prey. Turns out, it’s not just the size.

Felix learns about consuming and preds who are consumers. He learns that “consuming” is just a nice way of saying “preds who swallow down prey whole and alive and, more often than not, digest them like nothing more than food.”

Several of his classmates seem intrigued by this concept. Felix has to hide his disgust. The idea horrifies him.

He thinks about the Marotta family. Benji, Camille, and little Stephanie. Does Benji know about all this? The girls surely do not. What if someone tries to consume them and no one’s there to stop it?

Felix remembers the way Brandon stopped playing with them when he entered middle school. He remembers all the odd ticks and things Mrs. Marotta has said to him over the years, and suddenly things are clicking into place.

Felix thinks at first that this practice must be an old and barbaric one, something nobody practices today. Otherwise, how has he lived for eleven years and never even heard of it? His assumption is somewhat confirmed when he’s taught the history of consuming. How there used to be no laws against it. How prey would be snatched up by preds with no consequences. But thankfully, those days are a long time ago. Now, non-consensually consuming prey is a crime.

However, even today there are remnants of this past. Like how most political positions of power are held by preds, how many prey live in poverty while most wealth is owned by preds, prey still have larger families (just in case), prey didn’t even have a say in their country’s government until only a few decades ago. But, Felix’s teachers assure the class, things are changing for the better. Prey are given more opportunities and respect than ever before.

This information provides Felix with some manner of relief. If so much has changed for the better, perhaps he doesn’t have to worry so much after all. Perhaps Benji is safe.

But this isn’t the end of the lesson.

Preds have enjoyed consuming for far too long to simply give it up. There are ways for them to do it even today.

Most popularly, there are publicly contracted prey. These prey enter into federally or corporately owned contracts for a certain amount of years. During the extent of those years, they’re treated with innumerable benefits including: a large allowance, home upgrades, free food from anywhere and transportation to anywhere, health bills taken care of in full, and often times a staff personell to take care of anything else. The shorter the contract, the more extravagant the benefits.

By reducing the length of the contract further, these benefits can be extended to friends and family members after expiration. The deal is often referred to as “the royal treatment” and keeps every prey well taken care of right up until the moment their contract ends.

When the contract expires, the signed prey is stripped of their autonomous rights. They have the tips of their ears cropped, insuring that they remain easily identifiable even if they try to run. Then they’re sold to willing consumers.

“Are the prey okay with all that?” someone in Felix’s class asks. “Even though they know they’ll die in the end?”

“Well,” the teacher responds, “they don’t sign the contracts until they fully understand it. Many prey, of course, sign because they love the attention and respect it gives them. Others, unfortunately, sign because they’ve fallen on hard times and have no other choices. Regardless, like I said, no one forces them to and they know all the consequences far ahead of time.”

Fallen on hard times. Felix is reminded by how Benji’s family could only afford one bike, one small house, and often ate lackluster food. He wonders if Benji’s mom or dad has ever considered signing a contract as a way to make things easier on their family. What would the Marotta family do without a mom or dad? Felix silently adds that to his increasingly long mental list of things he now has to worry about.

Beyond publicly contracted prey, there are privately contracted ones. It’s an agreement between a pred and a prey. The prey agrees to any benefits the pred wishes to offer. Sometimes there is a timeline, sometimes there is not. The terms are for the two to decide. In return, the prey gets an irremovable wristband that forces regurgitation any time it makes contact with stomach acid that isn’t their contracted pred’s. In this way, they are protected from any other preds who would do them harm.

It’s far less common than public contracts, the teacher informs them, but far more intimate.

Besides going through a crash course in consuming, all 6th graders are forced to go through the CARE program. Consuming Abuse Resistance Education. "Show you CARE, say no to consuming,” the leaders tell them.

Felix and his classmates learn all about the dangers of consuming. Like how usually it’s painful and slow for first timers as their bodies aren’t strong enough to carry the extra weight and their stomachs aren’t powerful enough to efficiently digest such a large meal. But once a pred starts consuming, their bodies quickly adjust.

Maybe not after the first time are they permanently changed. They may feel hungrier than usual for a few days, but they soon go back to normal. But once a pred makes it a habit? Their stomach begins working more effectively. They become constantly hungry, and soon normal food just doesn’t cut it anymore. They only crave live prey.

“Most people can’t financially support their habits once they begin consuming regularly,” the CARE leader explains. “So, of course, they turn to consuming illegally, snatching prey off the streets, buying from collectors, even turning on their prey friends. It’s life ruining. They either get caught or they get help. There are programs to help preds in this situation return to a normal diet, but once their bodies make the change, they can never truly feel satisfied without live prey again.

“As you all begin to grow into teenagers and then adults, you’ll begin to feel certain urges towards any prey you may be around. Sometimes these urges will feel difficult to suppress. You shouldn’t feel ashamed, they are natural. But they can be dangerous. This is why, for the rest of your grade school careers, you will be separated from prey.

“Your bodies are about to go through a lot of changes very quickly, so being here amongst fellow preds will allow you to adjust to these changes in an environment that is safe for everyone. We also ask you to be mindful about being in any settings around prey when you’re outside of school. Don’t worry, we’ll all get through this together.”

“So, please, show you care for your fellow prey. Don’t start consuming. Not even once.”

Felix leaves the lecture feeling uncomfortable. Not just because the idea of a pred getting so lost in consuming that they can never return to normal terrifies him, but also because he’s had a realization.

His parents consume.

His mother, he knows, not very often. If he thinks hard enough, Felix believes he can conjure a memory or two from his childhood of her arriving home full from a meal.

But his father? Felix remembers all the times his father came home with a large, full looking belly. Felix had always thought it was funny. His dad had also treated it like a joke, letting him sit on top, allowing him to poke and prod at it. He’d always tell Felix it was because he’d had a large dinner or lunch, but no matter how much Felix ate, he’d never been able to replicate his father.

“You will be able to when you’re older,” his father had always reassured him.

Now Felix feels ill. If he had known back then what he knew now, if he had known what was _inside_ that belly....

What was it his father did for work that allowed him to consume so regularly? Was _he_ addicted just like the CARE leaders said? Would _he_ ever be able to stop? Felix wishes he would.

Felix doesn’t give a detailed answer when he gets home that day and his mother asks how school was.

She squints at him and asks, “Did you learn about anything new and exciting?”

She knows, he thinks. She knows exactly what he’s learned about.

But instead Felix simply shrugs and says, “Not really.”

His mother looks disappointed, and Felix realizes she’d been looking forward to him finally learning the truth, that she thought he would be interested in consuming.

He swallows and forces a smile. “But I did meet some cool new friends.”

Felix is already in bed that night when his father gets home from work, but he sneaks out and cracks his door open anyways. He watches his father in the upstairs hallway, walking towards his own bedroom. In the light spilling from the room, Felix can see him. His belly is full.

He walks in a way that suggests this is completely natural for him, no awkwardness, no obvious discomfort. All signs, as Felix now knows, that his father is no amateur at consuming.

Felix silently closes his door, blocking his view of his father. He slides back into bed and covers his head with blankets and pillows.

He wonders if the prey is still alive in there. How long could they live once consumed, anyway? Was the consuming his father did even legal? All questions Felix wants to know but fears the answers to.

Right before he falls asleep, he decides maybe he shouldn’t see Benji for awhile. At least, until he can wrap his head around this whole new world that’s just been revealed to him. He’s sure Benji will need time to adjust too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: vore - size difference, fatal mentions throughout, a very brief implied fatal (m/?)


	5. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning about consuming, Benji confronts Felix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super tiny content warning in the end notes.

Benji learns about consuming in a prey school surrounded by prey students and taught by prey teachers. It’s a somber class, and the teacher tries to be as gentle as possible but there’s still a shock wave that runs through the room at the news, most of all Benji.

Preds could really do that to prey? Could Felix? _Would_ Felix?

No, of course not, Benji reasons with himself. Why in the world would Felix do something like that? He’s like a brother to Benji and his siblings. There’s no way he would even contemplate doing something like that to them. If their positions were reversed, Benji knows he would never do the something like that to Felix, so why would his oldest friend do it to him? The answer is— he wouldn’t.

They learn about publicly and privately contracted prey and how alluring a contract can be, but how it’s ultimately a sentence to a slow and painful death. They learn about the legality of consuming. Technically, only digestion is the big thing authorities are worried about. Consuming someone against their will but not digesting is still illegal but the consequences are a slap on the wrist by comparison.

Some prey allow themselves to be consumed without digestion for pleasure— whether for their benefit, the pred’s, or both. In these cases, the pred would likely take stomach acid neutralizers, otherwise, though they may not start digestion, their natural stomach acids would cause minor burning for their prey. This is usually a very intimate and trusting act.

In some rare cases, a prey may be legally digested without a contract, as long as a consent form is signed by both parties with a witness. The reasons for a situation like this are generally unusual and often personal.

Benji’s class is full of all kinds of warnings and cautionary tales. Don’t walk alone in a pred neighborhood. Don’t drink with a pred, most consuming accidents happen when one or more party is intoxicated. If you witness someone being consumed, call the authorities immediately. Be more wary around younger preds as they have the least control over their urges to consume.

Don’t even fully trust strange prey. Some of them are collectors who steal vulnerable other prey and sell them to preds for illegal consuming. In exchange for selling out their own kind, collectors receive a wristband similar to privately contracted prey, but it protects them from ALL potential predators. After this lesson, Benji hears rumors from the other kids about three prey that went missing a few years back, supposedly at the hands of a collector.

The world suddenly seems like a very unsafe place.

After spending a day learning every horrifying thing Benji can stomach about consuming, he goes home with the intention of seeing Felix as soon as possible. He’s not sure _why_ he feels this is important. He’s not even sure what he wants to say to his friend, but it seems important not to let this new knowledge fester while they are apart from one another.

“Did you have a nice day at school?” Benji’s mom asks with a tired smile when he gets back.

Benji forces a smile back. He’s sure his mom knows what he learned about but doesn’t seem keen to pry. “Yeah,” he responds. “I learned a lot.” For the first time, he wonders what his mom has thought of his relationship with Felix for all these years. She must have known everything would come out one day.

“Did you learn?” Brandon asks Benji later when it’s just the two of them.

“Yeah,” Benji says quietly. “I learned.”

“So you know why I don’t trust Felix, why Mom doesn’t trust Felix.”

Benji looks at Brandon. “She doesn’t trust him? Not even after all these years?”

Brandon simply shakes his head. “You can never fully trust a pred.”

Benji doesn’t want to think about it and quickly leaves.

Once alone, Benji tries to call Felix but no one picks up. He frowns. Maybe Felix needs more time to process things. Of course, it was horrible for Benji to learn he had a new reason to fear for his life, but he hadn’t learned any earth shattering new information about himself. He hadn’t discovered that he was essentially born to kill. He couldn’t even imagine how he would handle learning that a little slip-up in self-control could result in him becoming a murderer.

So he decides to give it time.

After nearly two weeks of no contact, Benji gives up on trying to give Felix space and decides to take action.

To Camille’s dismay, Benji tells their mom he’s going out on a bike ride _alone_. After a quick reminder to, “be safe,” Benji is speeding down the familiar route to Felix’s neighborhood.

Already he’s breaking the new safety precautions he’s learned— don’t walk (or bike) alone in pred neighborhoods. Oh well, it‘s a risk Benji is willing to take.

He arrives at Felix’s house. It’s no different than he last remembers it, but there’s something about it that intimidates him. Though Benji’s definitely grown some over the years, Felix’s house seems taller than it ever has before. Benji takes a few moments to summon his courage. Then he knocks.

After a moment, Felix’s father answers.

Benji tries not to shrink at his overbearing presence. He has a sudden flashback to his first meeting with the man and how Felix said he would one day be this big.

Benji swallows down his fear and says, “Hello, sir, is Felix home?”

Felix’s father observes him with a strange interest. “Yes, he is. Would you like to see him?”

Benji nods. “Yes, please.”

Felix’s father’s expression twitches into a grin. “Just a moment, I’ll go get him.”

Once more Benji is alone on the front porch. His spine prickles like someone is watching him, but when he checks, he sees no one.

Suddenly, the door swings open. Benji stumbles a step back as Felix darts through and shuts the door behind him.

“Were you just out here with my father?” he asks, breathless.

Benji blinks. “Yeah, why?”

Felix’s purses his lips. “Did... did he say or do anything to you?”

Benji narrows his eyes. “All he said was that you were home and that he’d get you for me.”

Felix lets out a breath. “Okay, good.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s just get out of here to talk. Maybe back to your neighborhood.”

Benji’s fine with that so he waits while Felix grabs his own bike and then the two of them are off.

They don’t speak at all during the bike ride over, but they both know where they’re headed. The playground. It’s abandoned now. Most of the kids in the neighborhood have outgrown it.

“Okay, so tell me what’s going on,” Benji says after they’ve dropped their bikes and are sitting on the swings. Felix barely fits in the seat anymore.

“Did you learn?” he asks quietly. “About the real difference between us?”

Benji nods. “Yeah. I learned.”

“Then what more do you need to know? I thought you might want a little space after learning about all that.”

Benji glances at his friend. “It was me you were worried about? I thought it was _you_ who needed the space.”

“Me?” Felix repeats, baffled. “Why would I need space? You’re the one in danger.”

“Yeah, but you just learned this scary new thing about yourself,” Benji argues. “I figured when I didn’t see you that you needed some time alone to figure things out. I’d rather have seen you right away, get it over fast.”

“Oh my god,” Felix says, burying his face in his hands. “So, what? You’re still okay with me? With being around me?”

Benji looks at him with wide eyes, “Is that what this is about?”

Felix’s gaze drops to the ground.

“Yeah, obviously I still want to be around you,” Benji tells him. “I know you’re not like that. You’re my oldest friend. I trust you.”

Felix’s eyes snaps to him. “Really?”

Benji nearly laughs. “Yeah, duh.”

Felix is so shocked he can’t speak for a moment. When he finally gathers his thoughts, he says, “The only thing I want to say is that I think we should stop hanging out at my house.”  
  
Benji remembers Felix’s worried face when he first learned Benji had been talking to his father. Benji almost asks what about Felix’s father and home was so bad, but he also knows he probably doesn’t want to know.

“That’s fine,” he agrees. “We can just hang out at my place.”

“You think that will be okay?” Felix asks. “Your mom and Brandon don’t trust me. I know they don’t.”  
  
Benji considers this. Since learning the truth abut everything, his mom and brother’s reactions to Felix suddenly seem a lot clearer. “Maybe we don’t have to hang out there as often,” he concludes. “But Camille will miss you if you stop visiting all together.”

A relieved smile flickers across Felix’s face. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.”

Benji returns the smile and the rest of their time together feels just like it always has.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: vore - a few mentions of fatal


	6. Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix worries Camille won’t trust him once she learns the truth about preds. Meanwhile, Benji shares an interesting secret about Camille with Felix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Everyone’s responses to this story so far have been simply wonderful and very encouraging! It’s made sharing this story a really fun experience for me. Thank you so much ^__^

Middle school years go by. Some things change. Some things don’t.

One thing that changes is that Felix and Benji spend less time together. Not through any fault of their own, rather they’re at separate schools now. They’re making new friends, friends that are more like themselves. And they’re finding new hobbies and activities to do apart from each other.

One thing that doesn’t change is that they remain friends. Not the same kind as before, but still friends.

Felix starts coming around to Benji’s less and less. Once he reaches 8th grade, he hits a growth spurt and suddenly Benji barely comes up to his chest. At this point, Felix has to duck to enter Marotta’s front door and Brandon always gives him an icy glare when they’re in the same room. Felix doesn’t like the increasingly wary looks Benji’s mother also gives him, especially when Stephanie is around, so it’s just as well he doesn’t come over as much.

Instead they ride their bikes places. Felix and Benji old enough to leave the neighborhood now. If they stick together, they should be fine. However, if they don’t want to go far, their usual spot is still back at the playground. On the weekends, they can be there until late into the night.

Once Felix gets too big for his old bike, he passes it down to Benji, meaning Camille gets the older one. On days she catches Benji slipping quietly out to meet Felix, she begs to be included. She‘s in 5th grade now. Her last year before she learns the truth about preds and prey. Both Benji and Felix have been careful not to mention it in front of her the past three years.

As summer goes by and the days tick down until Camille starts middle school, Felix wonders what she’ll think of him after her first day. Sometimes he still can’t believe that Benji had been able to trust him after learning about consuming. But Benji is far different than Camille. He’s quiet, reserved. He watches and waits, always thinking things through.

Camille is far more outspoken. If she latches onto an idea, she holds on tight no matter the opposition. Felix worries for what her first impression of consuming will be. If preds are presented to her class as uncontrollable monsters, if her class suddenly starts viewing and fearing them like enemies, who knows what small prejudices will creep into her mind and manifest as repulsion for Felix.

So Felix has been holding on to every moment she’s with him and Benji as something special, just in case things change as school starts. This isn’t hard to do as Camille has been pressing more and more to join them, specifically Felix.

She’s always at his side, asking him questions, wanting to show him something. Benji constantly tells her to give him space, but Felix doesn’t mind. He enjoys the attention and he enjoys the matter-of-fact way Camille describes her day to him.

She doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest how tall he‘s gotten. In fact, she takes advantage of it whenever she can. She throws things into trees just to make him get them back down for her. She asks if he’ll pick her flowers from the tall bushes in the park. She’ll complain about being tired until he offers her a ride on his back. Benji seems annoyed by Camille’s never ending requests, but they only amuse Felix. Most of his other friends are preds, and really none of them are so impressed with his height. He also believes that Benji is secretly intimidated by his quick growth, although he doesn’t dare say as much out loud. He knows Benji would never admit to it. So it‘s nice to at least be appreciated by Camille.

“She likes you, you know,” Benji tells Felix once during their increasingly rare times alone together.

Felix blinks. “She what?”

Benji rolls his eyes. “Camille. She has a crush on you.”

Felix freezes. That doesn’t sound right. “How do you know that?” he splutters.

Benji’s eyebrows go up. “She doesn’t shut up about you, even when you’re not around. She’s always asking if I think you’ll be interested or impressed by whatever she’s cooked up for the day. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.”

Felix is quiet for a long time. He’s not sure what he should say. He feels like he’s being tested for something but doesn’t know what.

“You okay?” Benji asks once the silence has gone on long enough.

“Yeah, I just don’t know what I should do.”

Benji laughs. “You don’t have to do anything. I just told you because I wasn’t sure if you knew.”

“Okay,” Felix says slowly, still processing the unexpected new information, “thanks.”

Benji gives him a strange look but doesn’t say anything more on the subject.

After that, Felix can’t stop thinking about Camille’s supposed crush whenever she’s around. He thinks about it while she’s telling him about the new dress she got. He thinks about it while she tells him to watch how she can now ride her bike with no hands. He thinks about it while he is once more letting her ride on his back. He feels like he should say something, but what?

As the last few weeks of summer creep by, it weighs on him more and more. He even considers asking Benji if he has any ideas for what he should say, but he knows Benji would only laugh and brush off Camille’s feelings.

The last day of summer leaves a somber mood in the air. Summer’s been the only time Felix can spend time regularly with the Marottas since middle school began. But now he and Benji are finally entering high school and Camille into middle school. Things are about to change.

Felix rides back with Benji and Camille to their place on that last day. As they kick the stands on their bikes and approach the front door, Felix feels an opportunity start to slip by him.

He grabs Benji’s shoulder, causing him to start. “Do you think you can give me a moment to talk to Camille alone?” Felix mutters without waiting for Benji to speak. “You know, before she starts school tomorrow and... and....”

Benji nods in understanding. “She’ll still trust you,” he says with more confidence than Felix feels. “She’s knows you too well for anything else.”

“We’ll see,” Felix mutters then releases Benji’s shoulder.

Benji picks up his pace until he catches up with Camille. “Actually I need to ask Mom something before Felix goes,” he tells her. “Why don’t you and Felix bring the bikes around to the shed while you wait?”

Camille brightens. “We can do that!”

Felix leads the way as the two of them go back and get the bikes. Camille gets her own and Felix grabs Benji’s. They go into the backyard where there’s a shed on the edge of the property. They’re quiet as they roll the bikes inside and close it up. They’re quiet as they walk back across the yard. They’re almost to the corner of the house. Soon they’ll be exposed to the front yard, the entrance, the street, any passerbys. Felix is running out of time.

He spins on his heel right as they reach the back of his house. “Camille?” he blurts.

Camille’s eyes widen as she comes to a halt. “Yes?” she says, breathless with anticipation.

Felix crouches slightly so he’s at eye level with her. Camille’s face lights up as he does so. He has no idea what he’s going to say but he hopes the words will come to him when he opens his mouth.

“I just wanted to say... good luck with starting at your new school tomorrow.”

Camille’s mouth lifts into a small smile so Felix continues.

“I know you’re going to make a lot of new friends and learn a lot of new things.” Felix pauses, afraid to say what he knows he needs to say. He takes a breath. “And a lot of the new things you’ll learn will be really cool and interesting, but some of the things might be a little scary.”

The smile drops from Camille’s face and is replaced by a slightly furrowed brow. “What do you mean?” she asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Felix searches for the right words. “I can’t explain it all right now. You’ll learn everything tomorrow, but I want you to know right now that, whatever you’re told, whatever people might say, I care about you a lot and that’s never going to change. I’ll always make sure you’re safe when I’m around, do you understand?”

Camille nods, her eyes wide. He’s frightened her with his sudden intensity, that much Felix can tell, but he needs to be sure she gets his message.

“Thank you,” he says. Then, urged by some unexpected instinct, Felix cups Camille’s tiny cheek in his hand, leans forward, and plants a careful kiss on her forehead.

He hadn’t planned to do that. He doesn’t know what possessed him to do so. But as soon as his lips touch her soft skin, something primal rises up in him. He retracts, scared by how strong the feeling is. When he is far enough away, he can see Camille is practically glowing.

“Did you guys just kiss?” Benji’s voice suddenly says from behind them.

Felix whirls around.

“No,” he says at the same time Camille says, “yes!”

Benji’s face is scrunched into a look of disgust. “Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know,” he says before Felix can defend himself.

Sheepishly, Camille and Felix follow Benji back around to the front of the house. Felix unconsciously licks his lips as he goes and almost misses a step as his insides light up from just the hint of flavor on them. A mix of draining emotions run through him in the few seconds it takes to reach the front door of the Marotta household. Excitement, intrigue, curiosity, fear, and finally disgust.

He doesn’t have time to dwell on it, however, as Benji and Camille turn to him to say goodbye. They’re standing on the front porch, putting them about at Felix’s height.

“I’ll see you when I can,” Benji tells Felix.

Felix forces a smile through his jumble of thoughts. “Yeah, you too.” He moves his gaze to Camille. “And you too, Camille,” he adds.

She grins, “See you, Felix.”

Felix watches them go inside before grabbing his bike and pedaling home.  


* * * * * * * * * *

It’s two weeks before Felix has the opportunity to see any of the Marottas again. He always forgets over the summer just how busy things get with school. He always forgets how much he enjoys spending time with kids his own height. But he also doesn’t anticipate just how much more work high school will be. He barely has a spare moment to think let alone make time to get away and see Benji and Camille.

The longer he’s away from them, the more it weighs on him that he hasn’t seen Camille since she finally learned the truth about consuming. He wonders what she thinks of it, if she remembers what he told her, if she even made the connection between his words and what she now knows. Would Benji say something to her? Would she bring it up to him?

He can’t tell if he’s relieved or terrified when he finally has a chance to see them again. They agree to meet at the playground. When Felix arrives, it’s only Benji waiting for him.

“No Camille?” Felix asks, trying to keep his voice casual.

Benji shakes his head. “Not now at least. She’s became very popular very quickly and keeps going out with her new friends.”

Somehow Felix isn’t surprised that Camille would find so many friends so quickly, but the situation doesn’t ease his conscious at all.

“She might be home by the time I need to head back,” Benji offers. “Maybe you can see her then.”

Felix nods distractedly. “Has she said anything since she, you know, learned about everything?”

Benji shakes his head again. “She conveniently skips over all that whenever I ask what she’s learned in school every day.”

Felix frowns. He’s not sure what to think of that.

“I’m sure you’re fine,” Benji assures him. “Especially after you kissed her and everything.”

Felix’s face grows hot. “It wasn’t like that.”

Benji raises his hands. “I don’t care. I don’t wanna know.”

Felix rolls his eyes and the rest of their time together is just like normal.

Felix goes with Benji back to his home. As they’re walking down the driveway, talking, finishing up their conversation, the front door cracks open and Camille sticks her head out.

Benji stops mid-sentence when he catches sight of her. “I’ll go put my bike away,” he tells Felix quietly before heading for the backyard.

Felix then stands alone in the driveway. After a brief hesitation, Camille slides the rest of the way out the door and heads towards him. Felix kicks his bike stand down in anticipation. He has no idea what sort of confrontation this will be.

Camille stops a few paces from him. Neither of them say anything for several long moments.

Finally Camille says, “I understand now. I know what you were trying to tell me the other night.”

Felix swallows. “Do you... do you believe me? Do you still believe what I said?”

“At first I wasn’t sure if I did,” Camille admits.

Felix lets out one quiet and shaky breath. His fears suddenly seem more realistic.

“But then I thought about it and how Benji’s known for three years now but still wants to be your friend,” Camille continues. “And I realized that you’ve never given me a reason not to trust you. I don’t think you’d ever do that to us, to me. So then, I thought, yeah, I do believe you.”

Felix releases the rest of his breath and feels the tension drop from his shoulders. She still trusts him. That’s all he can ask for.

He crouches slightly again so that he can be even with her when he speaks. “Camille, I—“ but he doesn’t get a chance to finish what he wants to say because she closes the distance between them and throws her arms around him. 

Surprised, Felix straightens reflexively, lifting her from the ground, but she doesn’t seem to mind. He marvels at how tiny and light she feels in his arms. He remembers how tiny she was the first time he picked her up, not much more than a baby. His throat tightens with emotion.

Finally he leans back down and releases her.

“I’ve been so worried,” he starts to tell her.

She just grins. “That’s why I came out to tell you.”

Benji appears from the backyard. “I hope you weren’t kissing again,” he says, eyeing the two of them so close together.

“How many times do I have to tell you—“ Felix starts but Benji cuts him off once more saying he doesn’t want to hear. Camille just laughs wickedly.

Felix can’t help but smile at the sound, glad he gets to hear it again.


	7. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Felix grows older he’s plagued with dark secrets, uncomfortable growth spurts, insatiable hunger, and an uncontrollable new urge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, very mild contents warning in the end notes!

The longer Camille spends in middle school, the less interested she becomes in spending time with Felix. She has new friends now, kids that are own age and kindwho do far more interesting things than biking aimlessly around town. In a way Felix is relieved. He’s not sure what he would do if her feelings for him persisted. Her moving on from him is the easiest solution. But in another way, he misses her and her non-stop attention seeking from him.

In this way, Felix and Benji end up spending most of their free time together without her around. But, as the first few weeks of high school have quickly proven, finding time to meet up grows steadily harder. At first, they manage to meet every other week or so, but soon enough, it becomes only once a month, if that. It doesn’t take long for them to look forward to the summer as the only period of time they may be able to see each other with any type of regularity.

High school is a weird and sometimes scary time for Felix. There are the freshmen like him who aren’t much taller than prey, and there are the seniors who are virtually fully realized preds. For most of his freshman year, he feels dwarfed by the upperclassmen.

By his second year, Felix finally starts measuring up. At first he’s excited as he shoots up, starting to rival his own father, but there are unforeseen side effects that he doesn’t expect. The first of which is that all that growing leaves him with growing pains and a lack of coordination, especially at the beginning. He finds himself tripping over his own feet and overestimating his reach more times than he likes. He’s all arms and legs and it makes him self conscious.

He also unexpectedly develops sharper senses. Or maybe his senses simply shift to be more acute to certain details. He notices quiet sounds more than he used to. He picks up and can decipher smells far better than he ever could before, particularly when it comes to the scents of people. His attention for movement is far more sensitive, specifically quick movements. It’s distracting. Even the tiniest quick movement from the corner of his eye draws his attention.

The worst part, however, are the weird urges he’s been having around Benji. At first, he isn’t really sure what he’s experiencing. The first time it happens is when Benji runs to his side to catch up with Felix’s suddenly giant strides, another thing Felix has trouble controlling. Benji barely reaches Felix’s chest now. The sudden, quick movement in his peripheral for some reason makes Felix want to grab Benji. His hand is halfway through the air before he realizes what he’s doing and stops himself. He shakes his head, wondering why he even felt the need to do that.

The odd urge happens to him several more times, but his times with Benji are so sporadic, Felix doesn’t connect the dots at first. Then it becomes more than just the occasional need to grab him. As Felix’s senses grow more attuned to picking up and recognizing scents, Benji’s quickly becomes familiar to him. Soon, whenever Benji is nearby, Felix gets a little thrill at the smell of him. He thinks, at first, this is just a result of him being excited to see his friend. It takes him awhile to figure out it’s more than just that.

Summer comes along and so do more changes in Felix. He finds himself either constantly hungry or tired.

“You’re a growing boy,” his mother assures him when she catches him sneaking snacks in the kitchen. “It’s only natural.”

His father never says anything, but Felix can tell by the glow in his eyes that he‘s proud. It gives Felix mixed feelings to have his father look at him like that. On one hand, he wants to make his parents proud. On the other, over the years, Felix has mostly sorted out what his father does for work.

There is a shadowy place just outside of town called the Facility. To the preds that Felix goes to school with, it‘s a sort of house of dark desires.

“I heard only preds work there and they can consume whatever prey they want,” Felix sometimes hears in passing or from his friends.

The Facility is always a hot topic during lunch or in the halls between classes, especially amongst the cool kids, the ones who brag that they know preds who consume and will do it too once they‘re old enough. The rumors about the Facility always vary. Sometimes it‘s a prison or a secret lab run by the government. Sometimes it’s a consuming den for celebrities and other important people. Consistently, however, preds who work there supposedly always wear a black and red uniform and have to keep their identities secret.

The proximity of the Facility leads most of Felix’s class to believe their town is a hotspot for employees to live. Felix doesn’t ever say anything, but he knows the truth. He knows they’re right. He knows this because his father is one of those Facility workers.

It’s something he’s figured out about his father slowly. From the moment Felix realizes his father practices consuming, he does his best to ignore the nights the man comes home with a clearly full belly. It’s not so hard at first. His father often comes home late, and he usually doesn’t make a big deal about it. However, once Felix begins getting older, growing larger, his father talks more freely about consuming. He does it in almost a cheeky manner, like he thinks it’s something Felix will be interested in. When Felix enters high school and learns about the Facility, when he hears about the black and red uniforms, things connect.

He’s seen his father come home in a black and red uniform every week for as long as he can remember. And the way his father talks about consuming now? He’s stopped holding back. He talks about his prey in a clinical, detached way. They’re prey at the Facility that he has to interrogate and dispose of, that much Felix has gleaned. And all the friends of his father that Felix has spent his life acting polite around, the ones that always intimidated him though he never knew why? Felix now knows why. They also work at the Facility.

Of course, none of this is something Felix can discuss with anyone else, least of all Benji. Felix once asks Benji if he’s heard of the Facility. He has, of course he has, but he doesn’t describe it in the way Felix’s classmates do. To prey, the Facility is more like a horror house. Facility workers are like boogie men in the night who snatch up unwitting prey. Every prey in town knows someone, or knows someone who knows someone, who’s disappeared to the Facility and never returned again.

Felix is sure he knows what happened to all those prey, but he can’t tell Benji. He can never tell Benji any of this. It’s a dark secret he shoves to the back of his mind and forces himself to forget whenever they’re together.

And being together has gotten increasingly hard for Felix.

Once summer begins and his time with Benji increases, the strange urges he’s been having start to add up. Although Felix doesn’t fully understand what they’re adding up to until one day his subconscious does the math for him.

The combination of endless exhaustion and hunger have started making him fall asleep at odd hours. Early one afternoon, after making plans to meet up with Benji that evening, Felix passes out on the couch. He dreams that he awakens to Benji knocking at the front door. Felix goes to open the door and he suddenly feels so famished that he grabs Benji right off the front porch and devours him, kicking and screaming, without a second thought. Felix finally feels so wonderfully full that he doesn’t feel regret for his actions at all. That night his father comes home and congratulates Felix for becoming just like him.

Felix wakes up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. His stomach feels painfully empty. He sits up and presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. He was so sure the dream had been real until a moment ago.

He runs into the kitchen and pulls food off the shelves, shoving it into his mouth until some of his hunger subsides.

He meets up with Benji that night still rattled from his dream. Despite his efforts to act normal, Benji still asks him several times if he’s feeling all right. Felix brushes off his questions with what he hopes is a cool laugh and a careless, “Yeah, I’m fine.” But now, he can’t stop seeing Benji in a new light. He can’t stop looking back on all those little moments for the past year and understanding what they were all building up to.

Felix gets home late, glad he made it through his time with Benji with no slip ups. For once, Felix is glad Camille has stopped spending time with them. He wouldn’t want her mixed up in all of this.

He’s not sure what to do about the situation. He’s not sure there’s anything he CAN do without admitting how he’s been feeling to Benji, and that is the last thing he wants to do. His only hope now is to make it through the last few weeks of summer and let the start of school be the buffer that keeps him away from Benji until he gets his feelings sorted out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: vore - vague mentions of fatal, implied fatal (within a dream)


	8. Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix teeters on the edge between keeping Benji safe and fulfilling his predatory instincts.

Thankfully, Felix makes it. Junior year of high school starts and he has plenty of excuses not to see Benji. In fact, he makes it all the way to winter break with only seeing him twice. Both times, Felix keeps himself in check. Actually, he’s sure it was easier this time to be around Benji. Maybe his urges have gone away or, at least, he’s gotten them under control.

Throughout spring semester, Felix sees Benji three times. He even sees Camille once. He’s nervous at first, but truly he feels okay around her. For one night, it feels like old times.

He’s excited by the time summer comes again. He doesn’t feel gangly and awkward anymore. He doesn’t feel tired and hungry all the time. He hasn’t experienced any unexpected urges in months. He vows to make up for lost time with Benji. It is, after all, their last summer before they graduate. Once they make it through senior year and go off to college, who knows when they’ll ever really see each other again.

Felix is practically giddy to start hanging out again. He’s seventeen now, he has his license, and sometimes his parents let him borrow one of their cars. He rolls into Benji’s neighborhood and they’re off. They go to the mall one week and downtown the next. Another week they just walk around the neighborhood. The playground is barely used now. Most kids in the neighborhood have grown up and moved on.

Everything is going fine. They’re chilling and joking around. Felix tells a story about one of his friends from school tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face in front of the girl he likes. Benji throws back his head and laughs. Something about the sudden movement, the sound of his laugh, the way his chin tilts back, how his eyes are shut and he’s unguarded, makes Felix’s stomach do a flip. He’s hit with a wave of feelings he thought he’d gotten over.

He swallows down the feeling before it can overwhelm him. He can’t think about that. Not now, not after doing so well for so long. But once the thought is in his head, once that urge has been reawakened in him, he can’t put it back. He spends the rest of his time with Benji, shoving aside fantasies he’s ashamed he even considers.

Felix says goodnight to Benji and doesn’t let himself breathe until he’s back home, far away from his friend. He leans his back into the tightly closed front door and rubs his fingers into his temples. He doesn’t know what to do, but he knows he needs to keep everything locked in tight or something might slip out.

Luckily, he’s able to put off seeing Benji for nearly two weeks. By that point, the intensity of Felix’s feelings have died down. He’s relieved that he can talk and be near Benji again without worrying he’s going to snatch him up, but there’s always that thought, that urge at the back of his mind, nagging at him.

Felix hopes it will go away, but every time he sees Benji, it seems to grow stronger, more pressing. When Felix is alone, he finds himself wondering what it would be like to feel his friend slipping down his throat and filling out his stomach. He starts eating a lot again, especially before seeing Benji, trying to tame his sudden hunger. Then the dreams start, first irregularly and then developing into almost a nightly occurrence. Sometimes they feel so real, Felix wakes up, bolt upright in bed, thinking he really did consume Benji.

When they’re actually together, the nagging thought at the back of his mind slowly morphs into an overwhelming instinct that Felix devotes more and more energy into suppressing. It worries him. Why is this happening to him? Is this normal? Do most preds fixate on specific prey like this? If so, why has no one ever told him how _strong_ these urges would be?

He wants to talk about it with someone, ask all the questions buzzing in his mind, but who? Benji is off the table, of course. He can never know all the things Felix has been feeling. Felix’s mother doesn’t quite seem like the right choice. It’s his father that Felix knows is the one to ask. And he almost does it too. There are several times where the questions almost slip from Felix’s tongue in front of his father. But he holds back. He’s too afraid to find out what his father might have to say about the matter. Felix is sure it won’t be something he likes.

So Felix keeps shoving the feelings back down, keeps pretending like nothing is wrong when Benji is around. He thinks he does a good job of it too. Benji never notices anything off, never questions if Felix is okay. Felix pulls up in front Benji’s house, rolls down the window, and grins as Benji runs out.

“You ready?” Felix asks.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Benji says as he tears open the passenger door and throws himself into the seat.

The doors locks automatically as Felix speeds up. The sound gives him some small satisfaction and he glances over at Benji.

“What?” Benji asks, noticing the bemused look on Felix’s face.

Felix shrugs and turns back to the road. “Nothing. You just look so small in that seat.”

Benji lets out a humorless laugh. “That would be because this is a pred car and I am a prey.”

A small smile flickers across Felix’s lips. “Oh, I know you are, Benji.”

Their time together is the same as usual. Benji gripes about his search for colleges and how Camille will finally be joining him in high school. Felix smiles and laughs at all the right places. Each time he’s double or triple checking himself that he doesn’t slip up and grab Benji.

He’s doing so well too. He’s spent all summer perfecting his self control and cool composure. He let’s himself relax as they walk back to the car. He’s made it another day without breaking. Benji’s safe.

In his relief, Felix allows himself to relax. He gives Benji a light punch in the shoulder for making yet another tall person joke. Benji asks Felix how the weather is up there at least once a week now and the joke has gotten old quickly. Even though the punch is light, Benji still stumbles a bit from the force.

Felix’s throat unexpectedly tightens to witness the moment of weakness.

Benji recovers and swings a fist in retaliation, but Felix’s hand flies up of its own accord and snatches Benji’s wrist mid-swing. With a quick flick, Felix pulls Benji in close, raising the captured hand so high above Benji’s head he’s forced up on his toes.

Benji’s face drops. “What are you doing?” he asks, the words coming out in a rush.

Felix blinks and realizes what he’s just done. His stomach is rolling. His fingers feels stiff as he forces them open and releases Benji.  
  
”Sorry,” he mutters, “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Benji is gazing at him with wide eyes. Felix turns away. He doesn’t like the look that Benji is giving him. It’s too close to one of fear, and it’s the last thing Felix wants to see in his friend.

“Let’s just get you home, okay?” Felix says before Benji can speak again. Then he heads off for the car, taking strides far too long for Benji to keep up. For once, Felix doesn’t slow down.

The whole ride back, Felix feels like he’s holding his breath. His mind is reeling. He hopes Benji doesn’t notice the sweat beading on his forehead. Felix is too afraid to check. He’s too afraid to look at Benji again. He fears he won’t be able to hold back if he looks directly at him.

They come to a stop in front of the Marotta household, and Benji hops out of the car.

“Are you okay, Felix?” he asks, just before slamming the door shut.

Felix forces himself to look over and plaster a friendly grin on his face. “Yeah,” he says. His smile falters for a moment. “Just tired. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Benji’s eyes roam over him with concern but he doesn’t press the question. “Yeah, okay. See you later, Felix.” The car door slams shut.

It takes all of Felix’s strength not to get out of the car and grab Benji before he can get safely inside. The urge has never before been so completely overwhelming. Felix is shaking by the time Benji shuts the front door behind him.

For several moments, Felix isn’t sure if he can drive away, but he grits his teeth, puts the car in drive, and pulls away from the curve. He tunnel visions the road as he drives. He’s not heading back to his house. He knows his parents will notice something off. He also feels like he’ll snap if he doesn’t satisfy this urge immediately.

He takes several detours that will lead him back to Benji’s house, making plans each time to break into his house and devour him in front of his family if need be, but each time Felix stops himself and turns down another road instead that will lead him away from the Marottas. He can’t touch Benji. He won’t let himself.

But he can’t continue feeling like this. He needs to do something. He needs to fulfill this urge. He needs to consume.


	9. ‘For Benji’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrified of hurting Benji, Felix turns to unorthodox methods to sate his new, overwhelming hunger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! We’re getting to the part that I started writing this whole story for. As always, content warning in the end notes.

Felix drives furiously back into town, searching for something specific, although he can’t say what. He’ll know it when he gets there.

He turns corners, eyes scanning the streets, until he realizes what he wants. He slows the car and pulls it into a parking space. He opens the door and steps onto the street. The sun is setting and, although there aren’t a lot of people around, he knows he’s in a prey dominated part of town. He knows they think they’re safe here. He knows they’ll let their guard down.

Felix prowls the streets, keeping his head down, staying in the shadows. The few prey he passes give him strange looks but say nothing. Felix’s gaze is sharp as it scans everyone he spots. There’s something inside guiding him, although he can’t say what. Instinct? It tells him to reject that beautiful woman over there and that old man over there and that—

Felix stops dead in his tracks. Yes, that man further down the sidewalk is the one.

Felix sets off, keeping his distance, trying not to draw the man’s attention. The man appears to be on his way home from work. He’s tired, unaware of his surroundings. He lets his feet guide him while his mind wanders.

This shouldn’t be difficult.

Felix keeps pace with the man, waiting for the right moment to strike. When the man rounds a corner, cutting himself from Felix’s line of vision, Felix slows. He feels the force that has been driving him begin to falter. What is he doing? Is he really planning to consume this stranger? Not only is that illegal, but it’s morally repugnant. How could Felix even consider it? What would Benji think?

Benji.

Felix’s gut twists at the thought of him. For a heartbeat, Felix is ready to speed back to the Marotta household. He wants Benji. That’s who he really wants. He wants to feel Benji sliding down his throat and filling out his stomach. He wants to have every inch of Benji for himself, to conquer his body with his own. Felix’s fingers already twitch as they imagine wrapping themselves around Benji’s tiny, delicate wrist again.

Felix grits his teeth and presses his fingertips into his temples, trying to squeeze the thoughts from his head. He can’t. Not to Benji. He picks up his pace once more. If this is the only thing that can silence those thoughts, the only thing that can protect Benji, then so be it. He’ll do it. For Benji.

Felix trails the man until he heads for a quiet, narrow alley. Just what Felix wants, what he’s been waiting for. He speeds down another street then loops around until he’s at the other end of the alley. He catches the prey man just as he’s about to exit.

“What the—” the prey man starts as Felix looms over him then shoves him back into the shadows of the alley.

“Shh,” Felix hisses grasping a hand over the man’s mouth. Adrenaline is pulsing through him. All he can hear is the blood roaring in his ears.

The prey man’s eyes widen as he realizes what’s about to happen. He lets out a strangled cry from behind Felix’s smothering grip. He shakes his head and makes what Felix assumes are muffled protests.

“I’m sorry,” Felix tells him, genuinely meaning it. His feelings are rapidly shifting between excitement, fear, and disgust. Sometimes even disbelief. Can he really do what he’s about to do? Sure, he’s watched videos in bio class and online, but the task ahead seems nearly impossible. “I’m so sorry,” Felix mutters again as he pulls the prey’s head close to his.

The man’s protests escalate. For a moment, Felix doubts he can do it. He’s not even sure HOW to do it. It’s not like he’s had coaching. But there’s that instinct running through his blood, nudging him in the right direction. His fingers twitch. His mouth stretches wide. He pulls his prey in tight.

The prey man’s head goes right past his lips and presses into the back of Felix’s throat. Sparks go off and muscles contract reflexively. Suddenly the man’s head is traveling down Felix’s throat. Felix’s jaw stretches wider as he’s forced to accommodate the man’s shoulders.

For a moment he panics. Something about this feels incredibly wrong, but at the same time, overwhelmingly right. It’s like a missing part of him has been discovered.

In his panic, Felix swallows again. He feels like he’s going to be ripped in two by the size of the prey man forcing his way past Felix’s ribcage. He gags more than once as the prey flails wildly, twisting and kicking and jerking. But Felix’s body holds fast, and he finds he almost sort of enjoys the pain.

In the moments leading up to this, Felix’s number one fear had been his prey being too strong for him. He knows preds are stronger. He knows it from school and he knows it from growing up around Benji. But Felix has never really had a metric for his strength against a prey’s. He’s never really had a reason to overpower Benji. He just knew he had to be gentle. But the prey he holds now? It’s a full grown man, yet his struggles feel almost laughable. His kicks aren’t painful as much as they are an annoyance. And despite all his efforts to pull himself from Felix’s throat, he‘s stuck fast, pulled in deeper with each swallow.

Then something changes. Felix feels a wave rolling over him, starting from his core and working its way outward. He has to blink several times to refocus himself. At first he doesn’t realize what happened, but then, as he swallows once more and feels the pressure increase in his core, everything clicks into place.

His prey has reached his stomach.

Felix spares a hand from holding his prey in favor of letting it fly to his stomach. Already the surface is expanding, filling out. The skin stretches in a way that’s painfully tight and wonderfully fulfilling. The feeling sends him into a frenzy, and he swallows over and over again, fascinated by the way his belly expands further and further outward.

Then he stops, confused. All he feels now is the man’s toes slithering down his throat. The shock of realization washes over him. He’s consumed the whole prey.

Felix shivers as he feels the last of the man curl into his stomach.

He lets out one heaving gasp. He never imagined consuming could feel like this. He feels he understands now. He understands why, despite how terribly cruel consuming can be to prey, preds still do it. He understands how there’s a whole industry around it. He understands what has driven preds to consume for centuries.

And then the prey’s struggling begins.

Felix doubles over, grabbing at the alley wall for support. He thought he felt awful when his prey was stretching him apart on the way down, but this is something else entirely. He feels as though he has a lead weight in his stomach, pulling down on his skin. And on top of that, the weight is moving. It’s jabbing at his innards and throwing him off balance.

Felix’s flexes his abdominals. He feels like, if he can just hold his prey in place, he can avoid the pain, he can alleviate some of the staggering weight. But as soon as he feels some stability, his stomach muscles grow weak and he has to release them. He grits his teeth in frustration. His father had always made it look so easy. He’s never seemed bothered by the extra weight. How long did it take for him to build up that kind of strength?

Felix closes his eyes and presses his forehead into the cement wall. His father, his parents, his home, they’re all waiting for him. Felix’s eyes fly back open. The reality of what he has just done suddenly sinks in.

He’s just consumed an innocent prey. Not only that, but he’s standing in the middle of the streets with an obviously full and struggling belly. What is he supposed to do? Release the man? It seems the most obvious solution. If he’s caught like this, Felix can get in a lot of trouble. But if he releases the man, he’ll more than likely be reported. Then Felix will definitely be in trouble. And if Felix gets in trouble, more than likely, Benji will hear about it, and Benji can’t know. Oh god, Benji can never know about this ever. He trusts Felix. If he learns what Felix has just done....

Felix shoves the thought aside. No, he can’t risk that. But he can’t risk standing out in the open like this either. He shoves himself off the wall, clutching at his belly, trying both to hide it and to keep the weight of it steady.

Felix’s heart is racing as he darts through the streets, eyes scanning for any stray prey. He wishes he paid more attention to where he was going while he stalked the prey man. Finally, relief crashes over him when he spots his parents’ car, right where he left it. Felix practically sprints to the driver’s side, wrenches open the door, and throws himself inside.

His new belly is squished into the steering wheel. His prey doesn’t seem to enjoy the suddenly tight space. Felix presses his lips tight until he can move the seat back, making space for the both of them.

Felix lets out a breath and runs his fingers over his stomach, still in disbelief that it’s there. If anyone would know what to do about his situation, it would be his parents. Maybe they know a way he can release the prey man without risking getting reported.

Felix feels a twinge at the thought of releasing his prey. He _likes_ having him in there, but the thought of leaving him in there, of digesting him.... He feels a wave of nausea come over him. The farther down from the initial high of consuming he comes, the worse he feels.

Before Felix can dwell any longer, he starts the car and pulls into traffic. Driving with a full stomach is... distracting to say the least. He tries very hard not to to let the pinching and prodding distract him. Thankfully, by the time Felix pulls into his driveway, his prey seems to have worn itself out. Any movement it gives is half hearted at best.

Felix stumbles out of the car, glad it’s fully dark now and he doesn’t have to worry about nosy neighbors. He feels his prey give a start at the change in movement so he clutches his belly again to steady it. His father’s car isn’t home yet, so Felix rehearses what he’s going to say to his mother when he has to face her.

He smells dinner once he’s inside. Felix is already so full, the thought of eating more makes him ill. His mother is distracted with cooking when he finds her.

Felix swallows. “Mother,” he starts nervously.

His mother turns to look at him then stops dead. Her eyes are fixed on Felix’s engorged middle. Felix feels a prickle down his spine. He feels ridiculously exposed. He wants to sink back into the shadows, away from his mother’s unbreaking stare.

He’s trying to remember what he planned to say to her when her face suddenly breaks into a smile.

“I take it you had a good time with Benji today?” she asks.

Felix blinks. He’s prepared himself for a lot of things his mother could say when she sees him, but this is definitely not one of them.

“Um,” he stutters. Is she pretending not to notice? Should he play along? “Yeah. It was great. Like always.”

His mother approaches him, still smiling, and Felix has to stop himself from taking a step back. She reaches out. For a moment Felix thinks she’s going to touch his stomach but then she gathers his hands in her own.

“I’m so proud of you, honey,” she says in one breath. “I knew this day would come. I’ve known for so long. Your father will be so excited to hear when he gets home.”

Felix, still at a loss, only smiles back out of habit, but this seems to satisfy his mother.

“Why don’t you go to your room to digest,” she says. “I doubt you’ll want anything more to eat tonight. Go and relax. Your first few times will be harder and take longer, but after awhile, you’ll get stronger and your body will get used to it.”

Felix’s mouth hangs open. “You _want_ me to digest?” he says in disbelief. “Isn’t that bad? Isn’t that _illegal_?”

His mother throws back her head and laughs. “Oh, don’t worry about anything like that, sweetie. If any trouble comes up, your father will take care of it. Please don’t worry, Felix. This is your first time. It’s a special night. You should enjoy it.”

Felix struggles to speak. This conversation has gone so far from the direction he had anticipated, he doesn’t know what else to do but nod and head for his room. Once there, he crawls into bed and leans back on his pillows, feeling the weight of his prey rest on top of him.

He supposes he has no choice now. His parents are expecting him to digest. His FATHER is expecting him to digest. Felix presses his fingertips into the taut skin of his abdomen. If he presses hard enough, he thinks he can feel a hint of the prey’s form within him. The man still seems solid and definitely alive. Has digestion even started? Will Felix know when it does? He’s sure he’d notice a change if it had. If that’s the case, then what’s stopping it? Everything Felix has ever learned tells him that digestion is harder to stop than to start. He doesn’t feel like he’s doing anything in particular to stop it, so what’s going wrong?

Felix sighs and closes his eyes. He’s glad, at least, that it isn’t Benji’s weight on top of him right now. At least, he tells himself he’s glad.

He wonders what Benji is doing right now. Probably safe and sound, eating dinner with the rest of his family like a normal person. Felix’s eyes flutter open as he realizes something.

His mother thinks it’s Benji that he’s consumed.

Felix covers his face with a hand for being so dense. That’s why she said what she said. She thinks their time together ended with Felix consuming Benji. Well, she wasn’t far from the truth. But now he realizes, it’s something she’s been waiting for. His parents have been expecting him to consume Benji for... how long? Probably from the start, Felix thinks.

He feels suddenly ill again and sinks further into his pillows.

He doesn’t move until his eyelids grow heavy, but even then, he forces himself to stay awake. He stays awake until he hears his father get home. Felix expects his father to come up to his room and congratulate him as well, but thankfully he’s left in peace. The only thing that stirs is the occasional shifting of the prey man as he tries to find a more comfortable position. Felix almost finds the movement comforting, like he’s not alone. Not really.

He knows he needs to start digestion, however that may be, but the longer he lays there, the more he fears what digestion will entail. The pain he’ll cause his prey, the road he’ll be going down. He doesn’t want to experience it, much less feel it all happen within him in the emptiness of his room.

When Felix’s eyes are burning with exhaustion, he settles on the only plan he can think of. He’ll go to sleep and let his body do what it does naturally. If he’s unconscious for the duration of digestion, maybe he won’t feel so bad when it’s over and done with.

So Felix flicks off his bedside lamp. Everything feels so much more surreal in the dark.

He tries to get comfortable in bed but finds it very difficult with a belly full of prey. The man scrambles frantically with every jostle, every change in position. Felix feels too guilty to lay in any position he thinks will make the man any more uncomfortable than he probably is already. But any position Felix thinks works for the prey, is too uncomfortable for him to fall asleep in.

After about ten minutes of tossing and turning, Felix settles on laying at an angle on his side so that his prey is only partially caught under his weight. At least this way Felix can rest his head on his pillow without too much trouble.

Felix curls protectively around his belly, hoping this will all be behind him in the morning, and finally he falls into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: fearplay; vore - m/m, size difference, reluctant pred, unwilling prey, some post-vore, digestion mentions, ambiguous ending


	10. A Single Condition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix struggles to deal with the fallout of illegally consuming an innocent prey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! This is going to be the last Tuesday on which I post a new chapter. From now on, I’ll only be posting once a week on Fridays. In recompense, please enjoy this chapter, which is (so far) the longest one I’ve posted.
> 
> If you wish, you can find my tumblr at mmmleckerlecker. I sometimes post about this story there. 
> 
> Again, contents warnings are in the end notes.

Felix opens his eyes. He feels strange, sore and sluggish, although he doesn’t know why. He tries to roll over then stops as a foreign weight impedes him. His hand flies to his belly and everything comes rushing back.

Did he do it? Is it all over? He sits up, suddenly wide awake. At the sudden change, there’s a flurry of movement from within him. Felix didn’t know he could feel any worse.

He didn’t do it.

Felix buries his face in his hands. What is he supposed to do now?

Before he can think, he’s pushing himself to his feet. He wobbles when he stands, forgetting how to balance the extra weight, forgetting how much it hurts. Then he’s grabbing a change of clothes and going into his bathroom. He feels dirty and he needs to think. He knows what he needs to do.

He stops when he sees himself in the mirror. He hasn’t done that yet, he realizes. He hasn’t looked at himself. He watches his reflection touch a hand to his belly. It looks unreal, monstrous, but also somewhat nice, attractive even.

Felix turns away with a grimace. What is he thinking?

He turns the shower on as hot as he can stand and lets it run down his skin. He wonders if his prey can feel it too.

His prey. What is he going to do about his prey? The whole point of falling asleep was so he wouldn’t have to feel his prey digesting. That didn’t work, and now he wants even less to spend the rest of his day, pretending everything is normal while his body slowly kills an innocent man.

For a wild moment, Felix thinks maybe he can just release the man, get rid of the problem entirely. But there’s the risk of being reported. And his parents, what would they say? His mother had been so excited. Surely she and his father would be disappointed in him if he didn’t do it, maybe even mad. Felix can’t bear the thought of it.

But doing nothing isn’t an option. Looking in the mirror has just proven that Felix can’t hide his prey. Going out in public like this would be just as bad for Felix as letting the prey man go. Maybe even worse.

Felix steps out of the shower, towels off, then dresses, although the doesn’t bother with a shirt. He doesn’t have clothing made for consuming, though he’s sure his father will insist on changing that after all this.

He sits on the closed toilet, one hand on his belly, feeling like he’s figured nothing out.

He wonders what the prey man has been thinking for all of this. Probably confused as to why he‘s still alive, Felix thinks. He’s been in there for over twelve hours now. Most likely he‘s more than uncomfortable. He’s probably hungry, Felix thinks offhand. The idea of hunger suddenly seems so distant to him. He hasn’t felt hunger since consuming the man, Felix realizes with a start. He doesn’t remember the last time he didn’t feel hungry.

He suddenly feels much worse for the prey man. Felix knows what it’s like to be hungry and confused. He wouldn’t wish that upon anyone else.

He straightens. But what if he does? What if he just... let’s the man die of natural causes. Then digesting him wouldn’t feel so terrible.

Felix is disgusted by himself and dismisses the thought as soon as he has it. Sure, digesting something that wasn’t alive would make him feel better, but it would take days for the man to die on his own and Felix would be privy to each twitch of pain and struggle of protest during those passing days. Not only that, but he knows from health class that it’s not great for a pred to have deceased prey in their belly. Besides, he’s already sick of having to deal with his prey. He wants a solution that will get rid of him as soon as possible.

Felix glances at the bathtub, still coated in droplets from his shower. There is one way, he realizes, to get rid of his prey immediately.

He stands before he realizes what he’s doing. This is exactly the method he’s been holding back on. The one that he’s decided is too risky. But he’s getting desperate. At this point, he almost would rather deal with the fallout than continue like this.

He makes a decision.

He leans forward, clutching the edge of the bathtub. He’s not really sure how to do this, but then again, he thought the same yesterday just before shoving his prey down his throat. He hopes this will be similar.

He contracts his stomach as tight as he can. He can feel his prey press against him, panicked by the suddenly tight space. Felix squeezes his eyes shut as he feels the shape of his prey being pushed back up his throat. He almost gags but stops himself.

The prey doesn’t make it all in one go. Instinctively, Felix’s stomach muscles clench again, rolling and pushing his prey upward. The sensation is awful. It hurts nearly as bad as consuming the man but this time Felix doesn’t enjoy the pain at all. It takes several more heaves before he feels the man pressing at the back of his throat, forcing his jaw wide once more.

Felix hunches forward and lets the man fall slowly into the bathtub, crumbling into an unruly heap. Felix can feel the hollowness of his stomach deepen impossibly with each inch of the man that leaves it.

When the man is finally fully in the tub, Felix feels a wracking pain all though his core. It’s terrible. It makes him double over. He’s never felt an emptiness like this before. It’s enough to make him want to grab the man and shove him right back down his throat. But he doesn’t. He can’t go through that again.

Tears form at the corners of Felix’s eyes as he squeezes them shut. He keeps expecting the pain to pass but it comes over him in waves, making him nauseous, like he has to vomit, which if he didn’t hurt so much, he would find ironic.

Finally, after a minute of gasping ragged breaths, Felix is able to compose himself enough to stand up straight again. The first thing he does is look at his prey who, he quickly corrects himself, is no longer HIS prey. It’s just a man. A man who surprisingly hasn’t said anything the whole time Felix has been bent over in pain.

Felix’s breath catches in his throat as he finally takes in the sight of the man. He looks awful. He’s soaking wet, his skin is covered in burns, and his clothes are discolored and fraying. Felix knows now why the man hasn’t said anything. His eyes are closed. He hasn’t even moved.

Panic flares and a river of thoughts rush though Felix’s mind. Did he start digesting the man after all? No, he was definitely alive and moving just a minute ago. Did Felix somehow kill him during regurgitation? What was he supposed to do with a dead prey in his bathtub? He knew he had just thought digesting a dead prey would be easier, but he doesn’t want to consume the man again if he’s not alive. That feels... wrong. How is he supposed to tell his parents all this? Surely his father will be disappointed. This never would have never happened if Felix had just done what his father would have wanted and digest. Maybe he’d even be forced to consume the man as punishment.

Then Felix sees the man’s chest rising and falling, and all his thoughts grind to a halt. The man is alive.

As his heart rate drops to normal, Felix begins thinking logically again. The man is burned from the general acids in Felix’s stomach. Not because Felix started digestion. He knows this. He’s learned and re-learned it all in every bio and anatomy class he’s taken. And most likely Felix’s struggle to get the man back up again was what caused him to become unconscious. It’s not uncommon in newly practicing preds.

Felix sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He hates that he’s just thought of himself as “newly practicing.”

He needs to get the man out of here, to safety. Who knows how this would end if his parents walked in. He also needs to come up with a way to keep the man quiet... and fast.

Felix grabs a shirt from the ground, pulls it on, and waits another few moments for the man to awaken. When that doesn’t happen, he grabs the shower head and turns the water on. At least he can wash the remaining acid off the man. That can’t be too pleasant.

The man doesn’t stir at first. Felix is half finished before the man’s eyes fly open. Felix freezes. The man looks at him, eyes wide and red-rimmed. Then the man’s gazes flicks to the closed bathroom door. Then back to Felix. Then back to the door.

Felix realizes what the man’s planning just before he acts.

“No, don’t!” Felix grabs the man halfway through him springing out of the tub and shoves him back in.

The man opens his mouth to scream but Felix slaps a hand over his mouth to stop him.

For several long moments, Felix pins the man down into the tub in a silent struggle, ignoring the water from the shower head flying into his face, hoping the thumping of the man’s thrashings don’t alert his parents.

“Listen to me,” Felix hisses as loud as he dares. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you need to stop struggling and shut up before my parents hear you and come up. I have no idea what they’ll do you if they find you, and I can’t guarantee _they_ won’t hurt you if they do.”

The man hesitates for a moment. Then he’s grabbing at Felix’s hands and trying to peel them off. Felix grinds his teeth together.

Then there’s a knock on the door.

Both he and the prey man freeze.

“Felix, dear?” Felix’s mother’s voice says from the other side of the door. “Are you alright in there? I thought I heard something.”

Felix looks at the prey man who’s gone completely solid and unmoving in his grip. The man’s eyes are wide and stare at Felix in terror.

Felix shakes his head, hoping the man will know it means not to move.

“I’m fine, Mother,” Felix calls back. For once, he’s glad the water is still running. “Just taking a shower. Knocked some bottles over.”

Felix risks removing the hand holding the man down and pressing a finger to his lips. The man nods in understanding, his eyes still shining. Slowly, Felix removes his other hand from the man’s mouth. The man doesn’t make a sound.

From the other side of the door, Felix’s mother laughs. “Oh, believe me I understand that. I remember how clumsy I used to be with a full belly when I first started consuming too. I hope your night went alright? I hope your first prey didn’t give you too much trouble?”

Felix feels his cheeks grow hot as the man eyes him.

“It went great, Mother,” he lies through his teeth. “The prey was amazing.”

The prey man very visibly swallows.

“That’s wonderful,” Felix’s mother responses, the delight clear in her voice. “I’ll leave you be then.”

“Of course,” Felix calls back. “Thanks for checking in.”

Felix holds his breath, making sure his mother is really gone. When he’s sure she is, he lets it all out, allowing his shoulders to relax.

He looks at the prey man who hasn’t moved since his mother knocked. Felix doesn’t know what to say so he reaches over to finally turn off the water. The man twitches away at the movement and Felix freezes mid-reach.

“I’m just turning off the water,” he says gently. He doesn’t wait for the man to respond. Thankfully the man doesn’t flinch again as Felix reaches past him. Felix tries not to look his way. He can feel the man’s gaze burning into him.

When the water finally dies, Felix crouches back and lets himself kneel beside the tub. He’s soaking wet and is now harboring a stranger in his bathroom.

“You’re just a kid,” the man speaks at last, sounding taken aback.

Felix straightens, suddenly indignant. He’s held this man’s life in his hands since last night and the first thing he does is call him a child?

“I’ll be eighteen in a few months,” Felix huffs.

The man just looks at him in disbelief. “I thought you were going to digest me,” he breathes.

Felix clenches his jaw, his indignation giving way to discomfort. ”I thought I was too,” he murmurs.

The man draws a quick breath. “Why didn’t you?”

Felix meets the man’s eyes for the first time. The man retracts ever so slightly but doesn’t turn away.

“I was afraid,” Felix whispers honestly.

The man is silent for a long time. He looks like he’s thinking something over. Then he says, “You didn’t seem afraid last night when you attacked me.”

Felix looks away. “I don’t know what I was thinking last night,” he mutters. “I— I wasn’t thinking. Just acting.”

He hears the prey man lean forward slightly. “Your mother called me your first prey. Is that true?”

Felix nods. He feels like he’s in trouble despite the situation. And now that the initial panic is over, the hunger clawing at his stomach begins making its way to the forefront of his mind again.

“So what was it that made you act that way?” the man prods. “If you’ve never done it before, what changed?”

Felix turns back to the man. His face is serious, like he genuinely wants to know.

Felix swallows. “I’m just—” his voice cracks unexpectedly and he starts again. “I’m just so hungry. All the time.” The words come out almost like a whine. His throat is tight and he fears he might break. He’s never actually admitted any of this out loud before, he realizes. And now he’s unloading it on this prey man he almost killed.

Felix jams his fist into his gut, trying to smother the pain there that only makes him feel worse. “It hurts,” he whispers, dropping his eyes to the ground. He doesn’t want to see how the man is looking at him now. “It hurts so much. And— and Benji.... just being around him... it makes it so much worse.”

From the corner of his eye, Felix sees the man straighten, his interest clearly piqued.

“Who’s Benji?” the man questions.

Felix risks looking back to the man. He’s actually leaning forward now, like he’s invested in the conversation, like he actually cares about Felix. He’s not, Felix knows. He’s sure the man will say or do anything if he thinks it will get him out of that room alive, but Felix has already invested in the conversation so he responds, ”He’s my best friend.”

The man’s brow furrows.

“He’s a prey,” Felix continues. He nods towards the man. “Like you.”

The man blinks in surprise. “Your best friend is a prey?”

After what Felix has just done to the man, he doesn’t blame him for being surprised.

Felix nods. “Yeah. We’ve known each other since kindergarten. Before... well, before we knew about all this.” He gestures vaguely but he’s sure the man knows he’s referring to consuming. “I thought we’d be able to stay friends. I didn’t feel like this towards him in middle school. But the past few years... it just keeps getting worse. Every time I’m around him it’s all I can think of. And, at night, it’s all I dream of. I’m—“ Felix feels himself choke up again but forces himself to calm down. “I hate myself for it,” he finally manages to spit. “I’m ashamed and afraid to hurt him every time I see him. But I can’t _tell_ him I feel that way. I can never.... If he knows, if he looks at me with fear or the same disgust I feel more myself.....” Felix shakes his head.

The man keeps quiet and Felix risks a glance at him. He finds the man looking at him with a strange expression, which only serves to make him feel worse.

Felix lets out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, that look,” he confirms, “that’s the one I don’t want to get from Benji.”

The man’s face drops. “I didn’t mean to look at you like that,” he says slowly. “I was just... thinking.”

“About what?”

“Trying to understand you.”

Felix gives him an incredulous look. “Trying to understand what makes me a monster? What makes me want to kill the closest person I have to a brother?”

“I’m trying to understand why you attacked me,” the man tells him flatly.

Felix’s lips part in surprise. Then he collects himself. “I almost did it,” he tells the man, his voice coming out in a scathing hiss. “To Benji, I mean. Yesterday. I grabbed him. I didn’t mean to but I did. I was so close.... so close to doing it. I _wanted_ to do it. And it scared me. I was afraid if I didn’t consume _something_ it would end up being him. And it can’t be him. It just can’t.”

“So it was me,” the man concludes.

Felix meets his eyes and nods. “Yes,” is all he can say.

The man leans back until he’s settled against the tub and sighs. He glances around the bathroom which dwarfs his smaller prey stature. “But now I’m here,” he says.

Felix licks his lips. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he tells the man. “Almost as soon as I did it, I regretted it. It scared me, but I was even more afraid by what would happen if I let you go. I thought digesting was my only choice, but I guess I was too scared for that too.”

“So you took your chances letting me go.”

Felix looks the man over. He looks as pathetic as Felix feels, yet Felix finds he fears him. He did take his chances on letting him go. Whatever happens next rests in what the man chooses to do.

“I guess I did,” Felix agrees.

There’s a long silence. Felix grits his teeth as his stomach grows ever more insistent, reminding him that there’s a perfectly defenseless prey sitting right next to him. But he’s not worried about snapping again. He knows he couldn’t consume the man again no matter how much he wishes it.

“Can I make you a deal?” the man finally asks.

Felix looks at him inquisitively. “What is it?”

The man leans forward again, “If you let me go, I swear to you I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

Felix laughs. He highly doubts that.

The man raises an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you’ll say anything to get out of here alive,” Felix tells him.

The man shrugs a shoulder. “I won’t say you’re wrong, but I will admit, you’re nothing like I expected you to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“I keep my distance from preds,” the man tells him plainly. “I’ve heard too many horror stories and I have a family to take care of.”

“A family?” Felix repeats before he can stop himself.

The man looks at him strangely. “Yes, a wife, a son, and a little girl.”

Felix’s stomach does a flip that, for once, has nothing to do with hunger. The man he nearly killed has a family waiting for him, depending on him, back at home.

“I didn’t know,” Felix breathes.

“I didn’t expect you to,” the man says, still looking at him oddly. “But I don’t know whether it’s because you’re so young or because you’re in so much obvious pain or because I never expected a pred could feel anything for a prey, but I’m willing to help you. At least this once.”

Felix’s eyes go wide in disbelief. “You will?”

The man nods. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to see you ever again or trust you to be anywhere near my family, but I’m willing to keep quiet.” Before Felix can respond, the man holds up a finger to stop him. “But my silence has a single condition.”

“What is it? Anything. I’ll do anything.”

“Tell your friend Benji how you feel. And then never go near him again.”

Felix recoils. Everything inside him sinks. “I can’t—“

“You’re out of control,” the man tells him firmly. “You’ll kill him if you keep being around him. And I think you know that.”

Felix swallows back his emotions. Never see Benji again? He did all this _for_ Benji! He was willing to _kill_ for Benji! The least he can ask in return is to spend a little time with his best friend. But even as he thinks it, Felix’s stomach sends another wracking pain through his body. He shivers and knows the man is right. He’ll kill Benji if he doesn’t leave him alone.

“Okay,” Felix agrees. “I’ll do it.”

The man nods, seeming satisfied.

Felix looks down at him. “You need to finish washing off. You stay in here and shower. I’m going to figure out how to get you past my parents.”

“I can deal with that,” the man agrees.

Felix gives him one final look before standing and exiting the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later, he hears the shower start up again.

Once Felix is alone in his room, he doubles over in pain again as his stomach’s protests rise to a full clamor. It’s like it knows what he’s just done, like it knows he just denied it the prey it wants.

Felix swallows several times before he’s well enough to stand upright again. He wonders if his parents will believe he digested the man so quickly and he wonders how much food he can eat so soon without looking suspicious. For the first time, the full weight of his sacrifice comes crashing down on him. He’s given up his one chance at feeling full again. At least he had those few blissful hours last night. Although, really, he felt far from blissful then. Then, he was mostly weighed down with guilt.

When Felix’s head is clear enough to think, he starts devising a plan. He makes a call. Then he checks where in the house his parents are. They’re both still eating breakfast, their backs turned to the hall that leads to the front door. It’s the only opening he’s got.

Felix is sitting on his bed when the prey man hesitantly pushes his way out of the bathroom. The man looks clean although his clothes are still damp and his skin still obviously burned. Felix straightens but doesn’t stand. The man looks cautious enough without the pred who consumed him springing towards him.

The man’s eyes catch Felix then begin wandering around the room, taking it in like it’s the first time he’s seen it. Then Felix realizes, it is indeed the first time the man has actually seen it.

“This is your room?” the man asks.

Felix nods.

“This is where you— where we spent the night?” The man eyes the bed.

Felix nods again. Then a question pops into his head and is out of his mouth before he can stop himself. “Have you ever been consumed before?”

The man shakes his head. “Never.”

Felix wishes he hadn’t said anything.

He stands suddenly and the man takes a step back.

“I’m getting you out of here,” Felix assures him. “I’ve called a cab. They’re a prey company so you’ll be safe, although they charged extra for coming to a pred neighborhood.” He pauses while the man looks surprised. “I told them to pick you up a few houses down. It’s broad daylight so you should be fine. The hardest part is going to be getting you out the door.”

“I can move quiet,” the man says.

“Good. Are you ready?”

“More than ready.”

“Then let’s go.”

Felix opens his door on silent hinges. He makes sure his parents haven’t moved then beckons the man to follow him down the hall and to the stairs. True to his word, the man can move quietly. They make it down the stairs and Felix holds his breath as he pulls open the front door. He moves slowly and it’s agonizing, but his parents never turn so he beckons the prey man out. Felix follows him and closes the door just as silently behind them.

Felix lets out his breath. They made it.

He points down the road. “The cab should be waiting for you just around that bend,” he tells the prey man. “Just tell them where you want to go. They’ll take you home.”

The man looks up at Felix. He seems intimidated by their height difference but he draws himself up straight and nods.

“Thank you,” he tells Felix politely. “For making this choice.”

Felix swallows. Part of him wishes he hadn’t. The hunger has made it hard to think straight, but he’s not changing his mind now.

“Thank you for keeping quiet,” Felix responds. “I’ll be better.”

The prey man narrows his eyes and Felix feels his spine prickle.

“Talk to Benji,” the man reasserts. “Then let him go. Do the right thing.”

“I will. I promise.”

The man gives him once last searching look, like he’s expecting something, then nods. “Then I hope to never see you again.” He doesn’t give Felix the chance to respond before he descends the porch steps and takes off at a quick pace.

Felix watches him go until he’s out of sight. Once more, he opens the door as quietly as possible and slips inside. He sneaks back up to his room and shuts the door tight. His mind is working overtime, trying to come up with a story for his parents, but at least he did it. At least he did one good thing.

The next good thing he has to do will be even harder, however. He’s going to have to say goodbye to Benji. Forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: some fearplay; minor injuries; vore - m/m, size difference, post-vore, digestion mentions, fatal mentions, non-fatal, regurgitation


	11. The Scorpion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know,” replied the scorpion. “But I cannot help it. It is my nature.” 
> 
> Felix spends one last day with Benji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contents warning in the end notes.

Felix waits until it’s nearly lunch to go downstairs and face his parents. It’s enough time to feel confident in his story that he was able to digest the man overnight. No way in hell is he ever going to tell his parents he let the man go. But it’s agonizing sitting in his room with an empty stomach for several more hours.

His father goes wide-eyed when he sees Felix. His mother’s mouth falls ajar.

“That’s very unusual,” his father comments as Felix makes a sandwich with shaky hands. He barely has the patience to assemble meat and cheese on top of bread. He wants to devour everything in the kitchen, but he’s supposed to have just finished the most filling meal of his life. Looking too hungry too soon will definitely rouse his parents’ suspicions.

“It’s amazing,” Felix’s mother gushes. “I always knew you’d take after your father.” Then she looks to her husband. “Don’t you think he’d do well working in the Facility with you?

Felix nearly drops the knife he’s holding. Working at the _Facility?_ With his father?

Felix’s father looks at him with a calculating gaze. “He’d make a star disposer, that’s for sure. And if he can learn enough control, an extractor too.”

Felix keeps his eyes down. He’s finished making his sandwich. Now all his concentration goes into taking slow, normal sized bites.

“If you enjoyed that, perhaps you can order your prey legally next time,” Felix’s mother tells him.

“I thought you had to be eighteen to do that,” Felix says between bites, trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

His mother waves a dismissive hand. “Yes, I meant we would order one for you and once we have the prey, you can consume it legally with our permission.”

Felix’s next bite goes down like a lump in his throat. “I wouldn’t mind waiting until I’m eighteen,” he manages, keeping his voice as pragmatic as possible. “It hurt a lot more than I was expecting. Besides, I don’t think I should do it again so soon after snapping down that random prey man from the street. It might look bad.”

Felix’s parents grow very still.

“Prey man on the street?” Felix’s mother repeats, her voice an octave higher.

“Yeah,” Felix says slowly. He’s playing dumb. “Who else would it be?”

Felix’s mother blinks several times. His father is stony faced.

“No— no one, of course,” Felix’s mother finally manages. “I shouldn’t make assumptions like that.”

Felix’s father leans forward. “Felix, did anyone see you consume that man?”

“No,” Felix answer comes out sounding surprisingly confident.

“And is there any way someone could trace this prey man’s disappearance back to you?”

Felix hopes his voice sounds just as confident when he replies, “No, of course not.”

His father considers him for a long moment. Finally he eases back and says, “Most likely, this won’t be a problem. At least as long as this is a one-off situation. And if anything comes to light, I’ll make sure it gets shut down quickly.”

Felix flickers a small smile. “Thank you,” he says.

That’s one thing he can check off his list of ‘things he does not want to do.’ There’s only one item left on that list and Felix already knows it’s going to be much harder to check.

Benji tries to contact Felix later that day, but he ignores his calls. He doesn’t know what to say to Benji yet. He doesn’t have an excuse to give him if he wants to hang out again. And Felix doesn’t yet know how he’s going to explain everything. It seems unreal that they had been together less than twenty-four hours ago.

It takes three days before Felix feels somewhat confident in facing Benji. He’s been sneaking extra portions when his parents aren’t watching, trying to stave off his hunger. It works a little, although not quite enough that Felix feels completely comfortable being around Benji again. But he’s been putting off answering his calls for long enough. If he waits any longer, Benji will be sure to grow suspicious.

Felix doesn’t expect to feel so relieved when he hears Benji’s voice on the line saying, “Hello?”

“Benji,” Felix breathes.

“Felix!” His voice sounds surprised. “Is everything okay? You seemed so shaken up when I left the other night and then you weren’t answering any of my calls....”

“I’m fine,” Felix insists before Benji can go on anymore. “I was just... feeling a little sick.”

There’s a brief silence on Benji’s end before he says, “Okay. Well, how are you feeling now?”

“Honestly? Not one-hundred percent, but I really need to see you again. Are you busy tomorrow?”

“I’m not, but if you’re still not feeling well, I can wait. There’s still another two weeks of summer, you know.”

“I know, I know,” Felix says, his voice rising unintentionally. He forces himself to breathe. “But I want to do this now. We can make a day of it, go to all our best spots.”

Benji is quiet and Felix thinks for a fleeting second he’s going to say no, say that Felix should stay home and rest. But the sound of Benji sighing comes over the line and he says, “Alright. I’m down. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Felix spends every moment after that prepping himself to be around Benji. He runs through what he’s going to say to him when the time comes but every time the words seem lackluster. He considers at least once every hour going back on his word to the prey man. How is he ever supposed to find out if Felix spoke to Benji or not? But Felix knows deep down that this isn’t just about keeping a promise. He needs to do this because it’s the right thing to do, the thing that will keep Benji safe.

The next day, Felix goes to pick up Benji. Felix plans to make their day together as normal as possible. He can manage that much, he’s sure. He believes that one last day of hanging out will be good for Benji, give him something positive to look back on once he learns his best friend is a monster.

But their last day together is as much for Felix’s benefit as much as Benji’s. Felix needs these moments. He wants one more chance to have Benji look at him with trust and affection. He’ll need those memories for the end of the day when Benji starts looking at him with what? Fear? Disgust? Disappointment? All of the above? Felix tries not to dwell on it.

Felix thinks by the time he’s parked in front of Benji’s house that he’s ready to face him, to spend time around him without fear. But as soon as Benji is out the front door, Felix’s heart drops to his stomach and his stomach is suddenly a yawning chasm. By the time Benji is close enough for Felix to pick up his scent, the hunger in his belly feels like a monster trying to claw its way out of him.

Felix’s mouth rises to a grin when Benji opens the car door. “Hey, Benji,” he says, his voice dripping with practiced coolness.

Benji returns the smile. “Hey, Felix. How are you feeling?” He slides into the passenger side and slams the door shut behind him.

“Never been better,” Felix responds, pulling away from the curb. His eyes are glued to the road, but the only thing he can concentrate on is the scent of Benji filling the car.

He feels Benji eyeing him doubtfully, but he doesn’t say anything more.

Felix takes Benji to as many of their favorite spots as he can fit into an afternoon. For the most part, things between them feel normal, even though Felix knows they are not. Felix is sure Benji can sense something is off. He’s sure he can sense the finality of their time together, although, to Felix’s relief, he never brings it up.

It only takes Felix a few minutes of being around Benji to wish he hadn’t planned a whole day of them together. He’s not sure if he can hold out that long. Every second of being around his friend has him fighting off nigh irresistible urges. Several times he finds himself leaning in too close to Benji, his fingers reaching out to snag him. The instinct happens without thought, like throwing your hands out when you lose balance or flinching when something flies too close to your face. Felix is continuously guarding himself, making sure to stop each reaction before it goes too far.

He buys Benji dinner. The food helps a little bit, enough that Felix thinks he can make it the rest of the evening without slipping up. It’s enough that they can enjoy the car ride back together, taking turns choosing the music and singing along to the ones they know.

They ditch the car at Felix’s and walk back to Benji’s neighborhood. There’s one more spot they need to visit, for old times sake.

The playground has grown so small to Felix. Climbing the jungle gym is nearly as challenging as stepping up a step stool. But they didn’t come here to climb, only to sit and talk. The two of them are spaced far enough apart and the breeze is blowing in just the right direction that at least Felix isn’t being constantly bombarded by the scent of Benji.

After about an hour straight of simply sitting and talking, Felix realizes this has been the only part of their time together where he hasn’t constantly been afraid of grabbing Benji. He holds onto that, trying to remember how it feels. It feels like the old days, like the times when there was no danger, no urges. Felix’s stomach flutters and not for the reason he’s used to. He’s just realized this is the last time he’ll ever have this. A decade plus friendship ended in a single night. No more adventures together, no more late night talks, no more looking forward to summer and the freedom it grants them. Felix hopes Benji doesn’t notice the several times he chokes up while they’re talking.

Felix had planned to use their time on the playground to bring up what he really wants to talk about, to finally make the break, but no moment ever seems like the right time. Before he knows it, it‘s getting late. The warm summer evening turns into a cool summer night. Benji gives a shiver before saying, “I should probably get home.”

Felix jumps down from the jungle gym at the same time Benji does. “I’ll walk you home,” he offers quickly.

Benji gives him a look that makes Felix think he knows more than he lets on, but then he smiles and nods. “Thanks. I’d like that.”

The walk back to Benji’s house is quiet. Their close proximity makes it hard for Felix to concentrate again, which is frustrating because he needs to think of what to say to Benji and fast. Everything he thinks to say sounds wrong and empty. His insides feel like they’re melting, both from the hunger and from the loss he is only minutes away from suffering.

“Well, this is it,” Benji’s voice says.

They come to a stop. They’ve walked the whole way to Benji’s house and Felix has barely had time to relish their last moments together. Felix stares down the path to the front door. Nothing has really changed about it since the first time he’d walked down it way back in kindergarten.

Felix takes a shaky breath. It’s now or never.

“Benji?” he says, turning towards him before he can lose his nerve.

“Yeah?” Benji says, spinning to face Felix. His eyes are wide and inquisitive. They’re looking at Felix so trustingly, so innocently.

Felix feels a sudden pang. He doesn’t want to lose this. He doesn’t want to lose Benji.

Before he realizes what he’s doing, Felix raises a hand to gently cup one side of Benji’s cheek. Benji feels so small, so warm in his grasp. A rush of overwhelming affection comes over Felix. His fingertips twitch tighter around Benji’s jaw. He wants to be close to him.

Benji seems disarmed by the sudden contact but doesn’t pull away.

“I need to tell you something,” Felix says, his voice hushed.

This isn’t how he’d planned to do it, but there’s something nudging him forward, telling him it’s the right thing to do, so he doesn’t stop himself.

Benji swallows. “What... what is it?”

“Benji,” Felix says, enjoying the feel of the word in his mouth. He brings his opposite hand to cup the other side of Benji’s face. Benji’s breath hitches. With a careful flex of his wrists, Felix tilts Benji’s face to look up at his own.

Felix doesn’t remember closing the distance between them, but he finds he doesn’t mind. He’s spent so long trying to keep his distance, it feels nice to be this close one last time. He wishes he could bring Benji even closer.

“We need to stop seeing each other,” Felix finally says, keeping his voice gentle. He leans down so their faces are close. “It’s for your own safety.”

Benji shivers. “What... what do you mean?” His eyes have gone incredibly wide, but still he doesn’t pull away. “Why?”

One of Felix’s thumbs stretches and presses softly into Benji’s cheek. He can’t believe how fragile his friend is, how unprotected. Is leaving him really the best decision? What if another pred claims Benji for themselves, taking him away from Felix forever? Felix can’t stand the idea. He needs to be the one for Benji just the way Benji is the one for him.

“Because,” Felix tells him, his grip unconsciously tightening, “because I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Felix leans even further down. Benji doesn’t find the words to respond. Instead, a flash of fear runs through his eyes, then acceptance, then he squeezes them shut entirely. It’s the last thing Felix sees of his friend before he pulls him into his mouth.

From the first taste, Felix feels all of his insides light up. It’s the feeling he’s been looking for, the fulfillment to his hunger, the taste he’s craved. He drops his hands to Benji’s arms and pulls him in even tighter, relishing how perfectly he fits in his grasp. It barely registers that Benji is stiff and unmoving.

When Felix takes that first swallow, feels the way his throat stretches, it’s like electricity running down his spine. It’s not like with the prey man. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable or scary. It feels good and right.

It’s at this point that Benji finally starts to struggle. His hands fly up to Felix’s face and grasps like he thinks that’ll make him release him. Felix’s peels Benji’s hands away with his own and brings them back down to his sides, taking another swallow as he does so. Once he makes it past Benji’s shoulders, the arms aren’t a problem anymore.

Felix swallows again and again, zealously drawing more and more of Benji into himself. When he finally feels Benji’s head enter his stomach, he thinks he’s about to explode with euphoria. Felix’s eyes fall shut and he concentrates on just how full he’s starting to feel, how perfect Benji tastes on his tongue.

Benji has stopped struggling now. Felix is a little disappointed, the movement had helped aid his descent. He dismisses the inconvenience however. It’s not especially a deterrent. He’s strong enough to compensate.

It’s almost a letdown when Felix takes a swallow and feels Benji’s feet taken into his throat. He’d wanted this to last forever. He dwells on the moment for as long as he can, acknowledging the way he can feel the last of Benji sliding down into his stomach where he’s completely sealed away.

Felix let’s out one long sigh as bliss fills his body with warmth. His hands find his stomach and trace its new shape. Inside he feels Benji shifting into a more comfortable position, but there’s no thrashing, no panicking like with the prey man.

In fact, having Benji inside him is nothing like having the prey man. It isn’t painful, it isn’t messy. It’s good. Really good. Felix’s swallows, imagining Benji is still there. Maybe Felix has been lying to himself. Maybe he does want to be more like his father. Maybe he does want to do this more often. Maybe everything that happened with the prey man was a fluke. He can’t imagine anything going badly now that he’s finally gone through with what he’s been dreaming of for months, years even.

A wave of glee washes over him. Actually, this is more than good. This is fantastic. This is newsworthy. Felix feels a need to tell someone about this. Something in the back of his mind reminds him that he had just been talking to someone a minute ago. That there’s already someone nearby he can tell, a friend.

This is excellent, Felix thinks. Everything is perfectly in place.

He turns to talk to his friend, to tell them everything. Then he stops dead.

His fingers tighten on his stomach.

What has he done?

Dread like ice spreads through Felix’s veins.

Oh god, what has he _done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: hunger; some fearplay; vore - m/m, size difference, willing pred, unwilling prey, ambiguous ending


	12. The Frog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Frog feels the sting of the Scorpion’s poison and asks, “Why?” 
> 
> Felix makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the end of what I think of as The Prologue Arc.
> 
> Contents warning in the end notes!

Felix’s throws his gaze wildly about, looking for a witness. It might be late at night, but he’s still out in the open in the middle of a prey neighborhood. If someone happened to look out the window or go for a walk at just the right time.... Felix spins to look at Benji’s house. What if Benji’s mom had seen? Or Brandon? Oh god, what if Camille had seen? Felix had already resolved to stay away from her, but for things to end like this....

But everything is still and everything is quiet.

Felix’s heart is racing which makes the contrasting stillness in his belly even odder. Why isn’t Benji struggling? Surely he must be terrified. Felix just betrayed him in the worst possible way. For a fleeting second, Felix is worried he did something wrong and hurt Benji in the process of swallowing him.

Felix squeezes his eyes shut and stands as still as possible, begging for some indication of life within him. There it is, he’s sure of it. The small expansion and deflation against the lining of his stomach. Benji is breathing.

Felix’s eyes flutter open. He needs to get somewhere private to release Benji, and fast. But where? Certainly not in the Marotta household, but that’s the only nearby place Felix can think of. Or no, the shed. The shed in the backyard. Yes, that would do.

Felix walks as fast as he dares, hunched over and hugging his belly like he’s protecting something precious. And as far as he’s concerned, he is.

He passes the place right around the corner of the house where he told Camille she’d always be safe around him (what a lie that had turned out to be), where he’d kissed her forehead and felt something he hadn’t understood at the time. Felix clenches his jaw until it hurts. He knows now what he felt.

The next moment, he’s at the shed, fumbling with the knob and nearly knocking his head on the doorframe as he stumbles inside. There’s a light inside, Felix knows. He grabs blindly at thin air several times before he finds the pull cord and the shed lights up.

He looks around. Everything is as he remembers it. On one side of the shed lean two bikes. One is Camille’s, passed down to her from Benji. The other used to be Felix’s before he outgrew it and passed it on to Benji. It’s the one Camille would always sit on the handlebars of. The one she went flying off of and skinned her knees. Felix had let her ride home on his back. He’d tended to her wounds himself. Her mom had looked at him with surprise and said he was very kind for someone like him.

For a pred. She had meant for a pred.  


Felix feels sick. If she had known then what he would do to one of her children....

He presses the palms of his hands into his eyes and digs his fingertips into his forehead.

What has he done?

He drops his hands. There’s an empty spot before him that would be large enough for Benji to lay once Felix releases him. He needs to release him. Sooner rather than later.

But Felix doesn’t move. He just stares.

He doesn’t want to release Benji, he realizes. Not now, not ever. He very much likes having Benji inside him. He likes how full he feels. He loves the weight of him, how he finally has Benji all to himself. This is what he’s wanted all along, and in no way did following through disappoint. If he lets Benji out, not only would he never have this feeling again, but he’d never have Benji again _at all_. It would be the end of their friendship.

Felix clenches his fists until his fingers cramp. He hates that he feels this way, like he’s some sort of wild animal. Like he’s some sort of monster. What he _wants_ is his best friend back. He wants to see him smile, hear him laugh. Hell, he even wants to smell his scent again. But there’s something deeper inside him holding him back, telling him not to do it. Benji is his, fully and completely his, and he shouldn’t give him back.

Felix draws quick, shallow breaths, trying to fight that instinct. Benji is a living person, and of anyone, he doesn’t deserve this.

Felix breathes even quicker, trying to hype himself up for the moment. Benji has still barely moved, only a few shifts in position. Felix takes one more breath, the deepest one yet, and contracts his abdomen.

Felix doubles over and cries out in pain as he feels Benji being pushed back up. His eyes burn with tears. It feels like Benji is being ripped from him. For however much better consuming Benji had felt over the prey man, it is the same for how much _worse_ regurgitating him is. Several times Felix finds his throat contracting reflexively to swallow him back down and end the pain, but each time he forces himself to stop. He needs to see this through, and the longer this takes, the more risk there is for Benji.

Finally, Felix feels his jaw being forced open. There’s that unnatural feeling of prey coming back up his throat and past his lips. Benji falls to the ground in a messy heap. His skin isn’t burned but it does look raw. That and he’s soaking wet.

Felix’s throat tightens. He did this to Benji.

Felix takes a few steps back. Benji is unconscious for now, but he’s sure he won’t be happy to wake up to the pred who just consumed him leering over him.

Felix crouches down, trying to make himself look as small as possible while he waits. Inside, his stomach claws at him, absolutely furious to be empty again, to have lost its one perfect prey.

Only a minute ticks by before Benji draws in a gasp for air. His eyes flicker open and he squints in the sudden brightness. It takes several moments for him to take in the room and finally focus on Felix. Benji’s eyes widen.

“So bad news,” Felix starts without thinking, “I lost control there for a bit.”

Benji blinks several times. He still seems confused by his surroundings. Then he‘s able to collect himself enough to wipe his face. It doesn’t do much good because his sleeve is as soaked as his face, but he doesn’t seem to care. He pushes himself into a sitting position, knees drawn close to his chest. He stares at Felix with frighteningly large eyes. His gaze flicks to the door then back to Felix.

Felix scolds himself internally for choosing to crouch right in front of the door. It probably looks like he’s trying to trap Benji inside, which is not his intention.

“Why,” Benji says, his voice coming out hoarse, “why did you let me out?”

Felix balks at the words. “Why did I let you out?” he repeats incredulously. “I feel like you should be asking me why the hell would I consume you in the first place?”

Benji licks his lips then grimaces. “I— I thought that’s what all this was for.”

Even through the rolling pains, Felix can still feel his stomach sink. “What do you mean ‘all this’?”

Benji looks at him like it’s a ridiculous question. “You said you weren’t feeling well but that you needed to see me. Then you spent all of today taking me to all our favorite places, being so kind. It’s more than we’ve done for years but you were so withdrawn. You seemed... sad even though I could tell you were trying to hide it. I didn’t know why, until right as you were pulling me in. I... well, I thought maybe all of today was like a goodbye. Or, I don’t know, an apology for what you planned to do at the end of it all.”

Felix finds himself gaping. Suddenly Benji’s lack of panicking and struggling make sense. “You— you thought I could do something like this to you _on purpose?_ ”

Benji’s eyes drop to the ground like he’s ashamed and he mutters, “At this point, I’m not sure _what_ you could do to me.”

Felix stutters for something to say but the only word he can manage is, “Benji.” His voice cracks as he says it.

Benji looks up at him. “Felix,” he says back, his voice barely more than a whisper. “It’s okay. I know you almost did it the other day too, when you grabbed my wrist.”

Felix’s eyes widen and he stands abruptly, nearly knocking his head on the ceiling. Benji draws back, just a little bit, but still Felix notices. “Then why the hell did you agree to see me today? If you knew what— what I might do to you?”

Benji shrugs. “I don’t know. I think because I trusted you and because, despite my better judgment, I still wanted to see you again.” He pauses and his words hang in the air. Then he adds, “And because if someone was going to consume me, I’d rather it be you.”

Felix’s insides melt. “Benji, god... please don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

Felix buries his fist in his gut to stifle another angry wave of pain. “I did all this _because_ I don’t want it to be me.” Then, at Benji’s confused look, he continues, “You’re right. It _was_ a goodbye, but not because I wanted to— to _consume_ you. Well, I did, and that’s just it. That’s what I wanted to tell you, what I _needed_ to tell you, that it isn’t safe for you to be around me anymore. I’ve been trying _so hard_ to control myself around you, Benji, but it’s like this other side of me taking over. This— this monstrous side that just needs to eat, and it wants you more than anything. It won’t stop. It won’t leave me alone—“ Felix bites back a gasp as his insides feel like they’re trying to tear themselves apart. He squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his fists into his stomach until the wave passes.

Once he sucks in a breath, Benji asks, “Does it hurt?”

Felix looks down at him. He looks so small, so defenseless curled up there on the ground. Felix manages a nod before sinking to his knees. “Yes,” he breathes arms wrapped tight around his middle. “More than anything.”

There’s a pause then Benji’s voice asking, “How long have you felt like this?”

Felix thinks back. It feels like forever. He barely remembers a time when he didn’t feel like this. “Since not long after high school started.”

Benji’s jaw drops. “Three years? Felix, you’ve felt like this for three years and you never said anything? Why didn’t you talk to me about any of this?”

Felix is at a loss. Isn’t it obvious? “I didn’t want to frighten you.” Then when that sounds like too simple of an answer he goes on, “Or disgust you. I was so ashamed and disgusted with _myself_. And I was so scared. If I ever hurt you...” Felix shakes his head. “I just knew I couldn’t.”

“Felix,” Benji starts, “are you being serious?”

That’s not the reaction Felix is expecting. And his expression must say so because Benji continues.

“Felix, I’ve known what you are from the beginning. And I’ve known what you’re capable of for the majority of our friendship. What makes you think I wouldn’t understand? I know I probably wouldn’t understand in the way another pred could, but I’d try to. And I’d try to figure something out. The fact that this has been going on for three years and I had no idea? Do you know how badly I wish I had known so I could _help_ in some way? In any way?” He shivers and Felix can’t tell if it’s because he’s cold or because of something else.

Felix swallows. “I just didn’t think— it wasn’t your problem to deal with.” The idea of telling Benji had always felt so completely out of the question, not once did he consider him being okay with it.

Benji rolls his eyes. But then he sobers and meets Felix’s gaze, his expression serious. “Can I ask you something, though?”

“Anything.”

“Was I your first? Have you consumed anyone before me?”

Felix wishes he could make himself as small as Benji. “No,” he says, his voice rough, “you weren’t my first.”

Benji looks away. “I didn’t think so.”

Felix blinks. “You didn’t?”

“No. You felt too... too confident in what you were doing.”

“It was only once,” Felix explains quickly. He feels like he’s just disappointed Benji. “And I let him go too.”

Benji looks back at him, a brow raised. “You did?”

Felix nods, latching on to this chance at redemption. “After the other day when I grabbed your wrist, I was so scared. I was afraid I’d lose control and consume you. I was so worried that I decided I’d rather do it to someone else than to you. So I cornered someone I’d never met before and, well, I did it. I thought if I fulfilled these urges, they’d finally go away.”

Benji’s gaze is unwavering. “And did they?”

Felix nods. “They did, at first. But I felt so bad that I couldn’t finish what I started so I let him go. Then it just made the urges worse.”

Benji doesn’t say anything for a long while.

“When I told them, my parents thought it was you, you know,” Felix whispers in the silence.

Benji straightens. “Me?”

“Yeah. I think they’ve been expecting since the beginning for me to consume you.” Felix hesitates before adding, “I guess they weren’t entirely wrong.”

Benji stares at him so long that Felix begins to feel uncomfortable.

“So what now?” Benji finally asks.

“What now?”

“Yeah. Are you still a danger to me?”

Felix doesn’t need time to consider that one. “Yes.”

“Then what should we do about it?”

Felix’s jaw tightens. “I think... I think we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

“For how long?”

Felix frowns. “I don’t know. Forever? After we graduate, will it even matter?”

Benji sighs. “I guess not.”

Felix doesn’t know what else to say so he pushes himself to standing. He thinks the time for keeping himself under control around Benji is about to expire anyway, so this is probably for the best.

After a moment’s hesitation, Benji slowly manages to push himself upright. He sways for a moment and Felix almost reaches out to steady him, but stops himself.

“Is... is this goodbye then?” Felix asks.

Benji looks up at him. “If that’s what you think is best.”

“I do,” Felix says more to convince himself than anything.

“Then yeah, I guess it is.”

They stand unmoving. Felix wants to pull Benji into his arms, give him a proper goodbye, but he doesn’t dare move any closer.

Felix draws a breath through his teeth. “Goodbye, Benji,” he says, his throat tight, his voice quivering slightly.

The expression Benji makes is something akin to pity when he responds with, “Goodbye, Felix.”

They stand there awhile longer. Then Felix reaches for the doorknob, his hands shaking. After more than one try, he manages to grab it and open the shed door. He stumbles out into the dark, the night air surprisingly refreshing on his sweat-beaded skin. He waits until he’s halfway across the backyard to glance back.

He sees Benji silhouetted by the shed’s light, watching him go. Felix forces himself to turn away and not look back.

It’s the last he sees of Benji for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: very minor injury; very vague references to fatal; vore - m/m, size difference, non-fatal, some post-vore, regurgitation


	13. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now separated from Felix, Benji graduates high school and goes to college where he gets an unexpected reality check.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the transition phase. 
> 
> Contents warning in the end notes.

Benji watches Felix disappear into the night, a chasm opening up within him. He doesn’t move, even after he’s sure Felix is gone.

Then a chilly breeze washes over him, the kind that comes with the creeping of autumn and the return of school. Benji shivers. Being inside Felix had been unfathomably hot, but now that he’s out and soaking wet, the cool wind hits him harder than normal.

He swallows as he realizes he’s going to have to sneak inside. None of his family can know what almost happened tonight. They don’t need the extra worry, and Camille doesn’t need to know that kind of betrayal. Besides, if word gets out, then Felix will get in trouble, and that’s not what Benji wants at all.

He goes through the front door, barely able to breathe as he tries not to make a sound. On the other side of the house, he can hear the family watching something on tv. Benji treads light-footed up the stairs, not daring to flip on a light. He risks a run into his room to grab a change of clothes, then he makes it into the bathroom, locking the door tight before turning on the shower.

At first he turns the water up hot. He’s freezing now and wants to scrub everything off his skin until he can’t feel anymore. But as soon as he steps under the water, he pulls back. He’s forgotten how raw the stomach acids have left his skin. The pain isn’t intense, just surprising, like he’s been out in the sun a little too long. He lowers the water temperature until it feels nice on his skin, then stands under it for a long time.

By the time Benji is out of the shower, he feels a little better. He’s clean and his time with Felix has started to feel more like a dream than anything. He’s leaving the bathroom when he passes Camille in the hall.

“Hey!” she says in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were home yet!”

Benji gives her a small smile and tucks his soiled clothes more tightly under his arm. “Yeah, I’m exhausted so I just went right upstairs and started getting ready for bed.”

Camille’s brows go up. “You were out all day,” she agrees. “Longer than normal. You were with Felix, right?”

Benji nods. “Yeah, kind of an end of the summer, last hangout for who-knows-how-long celebration.”

“Last hangout?” Camille repeats. “There’s still like half a month of summer.” She’s looking closely at him, as if she suspects there’s something more to the story.

Benji shrugs, hoping he appears nonchalant. “Felix is going to be busy for the rest of the summer, so we had to do it now.”

Camille’s face falls. “Oh, he is? I was actually hoping the three of us could spend some time together again before school starts. I haven’t seen him in forever and I’ve been thinking lately how much I miss him.”

Benji’s stomach does a flip-flop and suddenly the events of the night don’t feel so dream-like anymore. “Oh yeah, he’s going to be really busy. And then, you know, it’s his senior year so who knows when he’ll be free again. I’m really sorry, Camille.”

Camille narrows her eyes. Benji hopes he doesn’t sound like he’s deliberately trying to keep her away from Felix (which, of course, he is).

“That’s too bad,” Camille says, her eyes still scanning Benji’s face. “Hey, are you feeling all right? Your cheeks are all red.”

Benji’s hand flies to his cheek and he presses his fingers into the skin. He feels the heat of the burn and realizes he never even stopped to see what he looked like in the mirror.

“I’m— I’m fine,” he stutters. “Just a little warm, is all.”

Camille looks like she wants to say more but Benji starts moving for his bedroom.

“Listen, I’m really exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

Camille gives him a quick nod. “If you say so. I’m glad things went well with Felix today. Have a good night.”

“Yeah,” Benji agrees. “Yeah, you too.”

When Benji is finally laying in bed, he realizes being exhausted isn’t just a made up excuse for Camille. He can barely keep his eyes open. He’s asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow. He dreams he’s trapped somewhere hot and wet and so, so small.

The walls of his prison press in around him from all sides. He can’t move. He can barely breathe. He’s sure he’ll roast to death in the sauna heat. He thrashes about, looking for an escape, but now something is twisting around his limbs too, something oddly soft and dry.

Benji’s eyes flutter open. He’s sweating and gasping for breath as he realizes it’s his covers he’s trapped beneath. Once he takes a moment to calm himself, he’s able to untangle the blanket and lay back in bed, free.

He stares at the dark ceiling above, his face still damp and his heart still racing. He knows what it was in his dream, what he was really trapped in.

He’s so tired, all he wants to do is close his eyes again, but he’s afraid of what he’ll see if he does. So he forces them to stay open wide, until they’re burning, until he’s too tired to even dream. And then sleep finally takes him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Senior year feels... odd.

It’s not as if Benji usually sees Felix, but the knowledge that they would get together when they could has always been there. Now it’s gone. Benji doesn’t know what to do with that feeling.

Camille doesn’t press seeing Felix much, thankfully. The only time Benji finds himself scrambling for excuses is after graduation, when summer begins.

“Don’t you want to celebrate together? Have a little graduation party?” she asks him.

Benji gives her a weak smile. “Yeah, that would be great if we could.”

But they can’t, so they don’t.

Maybe Camille picks up on something else going on, because she’s oddly quiet on the matter after that.

Truth be told, however, Benji really does wish he could see Felix again. Summer doesn’t feel right without him. Not only that, but with college quickly approaching, Benji wants more than ever to have some stability in his life again. He feels like things are changing too fast, like he’s losing too many things too quickly. If he could just have the familiarity of Felix’s presence just once more.....

But it’s beyond Benji.

And then it’s even more beyond him as summer ends and his family packs up the car and they all drive to his new university. Benji, Camille, and Stephanie setting up a dorm room is old hat. They’ve all helped Brandon do the same at his own college the past three years. Orientation happens and then, before he knows it, Benji is waving goodbye as his family leaves for home again.

* * * * * * * * * *

College is very different than high school. Or middle school. And Benji might have been able to say that it’s different from elementary school too, but in one big way, it is not.

For the first time since he was eleven, Benji is taking classes with preds again.

He’s known forever that college is co-ed. Yes, there are a few private colleges that are prey-only or pred-only, but Benji had known he would never be able to afford any of those places. Besides, it’s not like everything else in the “real world” is separated by preys and preds like grade school. Eventually he’ll have to get a job and work with or provide service to preds. He might as well start getting used to socializing with them now.

As he goes to classes and functions, Benji finds that his pred peers are more or less normal. They talk and joke, just like his friends back home. And all the times he has to work with them in class, they’re usually respectful and polite.

Benji doesn’t know why he’d been expecting anything less. It’s not as though he hasn’t spent his whole life trusting and being around a pred before. But maybe it’s because he still sometimes has dreams of that night, sometimes wakes sweating and gasping and tangled in his covers. Maybe it’s because during his year of no contact with Felix, Benji’s mind has warped preds into something scarier than he used to imagine. Or maybe it’s simply that Felix is only one pred that Benji’s known his whole life and being around him is nothing like being surrounded by a number of very large strangers, the intentions of which Benji cannot begin to guess.

The finality of sliding into Felix’s stomach and the overwhelming desire to simply give up, is still burned into Benji’s mind. Felix had been Benji’s trusted friend right up until the moment when he wasn’t. For the most part, there hadn’t been any warning signs, and as far as Benji is concerned, the same can be applied to any of the preds he sees every day in class.

So he keeps his head down. He’s polite and makes acquaintances with preds, but he can’t bring himself to fully trust them. Not now, maybe not ever.

Thankfully, preds and prey have separate dorms on campus so Benji always has a place where he can be surrounded only by other prey.It’s something Benji’s even more grateful for once he learns what it’s like to live on a mixed campus.

Ever since learning about consuming in middle school, Benji has always understood it to be something scary. Yes, he’d learned that some preds and prey will do it for fun or pleasure, but those are the exception, not the rule. But now that he’s here, Benji realizes that’s not quite true.

He doesn’t see what’s happening at first. He thinks the white pills the preds are passing and popping at parties are some kind of drug. And he thinks when pred/prey couples disappear into another room together, it’s for normal couple reasons. It’s not until he really starts listening and paying attention does he understand what’s actually going on.

Prey talk about the thrill of it or the comfort of it. Preds talk about the pleasure of it or the intimacy of it. The white pills are for neutralizing stomach acids and the couples are disappearing to do more than just normal couple things.

The longer Benji is at college, the more open his friends seem to be about it. One weekend, while they’re drinking in their dorm, the group gets to talking about it. It’s eye opening. Benji had no idea he knew so many people who had been consumed.

“Aren’t you afraid?” he asks the girl next to him after she’s bragged about how many preds she’s been inside of. “Like, aren’t you scared they might not ever let you back out?”

The girl raises a brow. “You think all preds are killers? You think they want to hurt their classmates?”

Benji retracts a bit as several eyes turn curiously towards him. “What? No, of course not. But I know preds have instincts and a hunger and sometimes they lose control....”

He trails off as he feels the air in the room rise with tension. Silence falls and the girl is looking at Benji like he’s crazy.

“Am... am I wrong?” Benji asks quietly.

“You sound like my grandpa,” someone comments.

“It’s a little outdated view,” the girl agrees. “Kinda prejudiced.”

Benji stares around at the group gathered. “But in school they taught us to always be careful.”

“Okay, well yes,” the guy who had made the grandpa comments says. “There are bad preds like there are bad prey, but it’s a little reductive to think they’re all like _that_.”

A muttered consensus goes around the room. Benji wonders how he missed out on this line of thinking. Was his town really that small and sheltered? Maybe growing up so near the Facility and living with all the horror stories surrounding it has skewed his perception of things.

“So you all really enjoy it?” he asks the group at large. “And it’s all consensual?”

“For the most part,” the girl tells him.

“For the most part?” Benji repeats.

“Yea, obviously you need to be smart,” the girl on the other side of Benji says. “Like let your friends know who you’re going to be with and don’t go off with strange preds. Watch your drinks and everything. Non-consensual consuming is always a thing to be wary of.”

“But for the most part,” the first girl repeats, “it’s just something nice you can do with a pred for a night.”

Benji looks down at his drink, feeling very much like he’s just become the asshole of the group. “I never knew,” he mutters.

“You should try it sometime,” the girl says putting a hand on his shoulder. “I think you’ll change your mind about things once you realize it’s really not that scary. Like, yeah, I was nervous my first time too, but then you’re there and you’re just warm and safe and feel very far away from the outside world.”

Benji glances over at her. He can feel everyone waiting for his answer, like his next words will dictate how everyone will view him from now on.

For a split second, he thinks about telling them everything. Telling everyone that he had, in fact, been consumed before and it was far from consensual and far from pleasurable. Maybe his answer will make everyone understand, make them see that he doesn’t just have these apparently flawed views of preds for no reason.

But then he imagines the girl’s hand falling from his shoulder, her look of shock echoing across the group. He imagines the whispers he’ll hear as the rumors of what happened to him spread. He imagines word getting back to his family and explaining to them, to Camille, what exactly happened that last night with Felix. And that’s the last thing he wants.

So instead he makes what he hopes is a warm smile and says, “Thanks, maybe I will.”

The girl smiles back and that seems to be the end of the conversation.

At least, for the group. For Benji, however, he can never really put it behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains - very minor injury; some post-trauma; mature - implied offscreen sexual activity; vore - mentions of safe and willing


	14. Lux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix goes off to college and finds an expected way to fulfill his urges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contents warning in end notes! Upfront, there’s a wee amount of vaguely referenced kinky stuff.

Felix’s senior year of high school feels... empty.

His parents never question him too deeply on Benji’s sudden absence from his life. They ask him several times if he’s interested in consuming legally, but he always manages to to come up with an excuse.

Although, for the week after regurgitating Benji, he does seriously consider saying yes. He’s desperate to get rid of the painful pangs of hunger stabbing at his stomach. But he knows, once he has his prey, the relief will only be temporary, and then it will come back even worse than before.

So instead, he resists the urges and eats normal food in an attempt to curb his hunger. By the time, school starts again, miraculously, he feels almost normal again.

Almost.

Turns out, despite everything, he really wishes he could see Benji again. Not only to make their last memory together a better one, but also to just simply be around him.

But he refrains. He knows the emptiness he feels isn’t just from a lack of having Benij around him, it’s from a lack of having Benji _inside_ him as well. Felix is sure that, although he nearly feels normal again, seeing Benji will put an end to that.

So he makes it through high school with his newfound emptiness. Then he makes it through graduation. And then he makes it through summer, even though he wants _so badly_ to see Benji one last time before college starts.

Before he knows it, he’s in college. A new place full of new faces. And, apparently, full of new experiences.

It’s a nice school, much bigger than Felix is used to. It’s also co-ed, which means, for the first time since he was a kid, he’s sharing spaces with prey again.

It makes him nervous at first. It had been so difficult being around Benji, and that was only one prey. But it turns out, being around strange prey doesn’t have the same effect on him. Yes, of course, he often daydreams what the pretty prey girl who sits across from him in sociology would feel like sliding down his throat, but he doesn’t have a problem controlling himself around her.

He wonders why it had been so different for Benji.

For the first few weeks of classes, Felix is fully ready to go through his entire college career only able to fantasize about consuming his new classmates. He knows he can’t risk a repeat of his last two experiences with consuming. He’s legally an adult now, and if he ever gets caught doing something like that again, he’ll likely be arrested and definitely be charged.

But the first time he’s invited to a party and one of his pred friends passes him a few white pills, he learns that things don’t always have to be like that.

“What are these?” Felix asks, turning the pills over in his palms.

“They’re neutralizers,” the friend says with a grin. “You’ll want them if you get lucky tonight.”

“Neutralizers?” Felix repeats. The word is familiar, but his brain is already foggy from pre-gaming and he’s still distracted from rolling the pills between his fingers.

“Yeah, you know,” the friend continues, sounding like he’s talking to a child. “For neutralizing stomach acids? So you can consume?’

“Consume?” Felix repeats again, this time his attention snaps directly to his friend.

The friend rolls his eyes. “Did you smoke before you came here?”

“What? No, I just— wasn’t expecting this.”

Felix had almost forgotten there were ways to consume safely. Was it really that easy? Just swallowing some pills and he could consume again?

“So what do you do exactly?”

The friend furrows his brow. “Have you not consumed before?”

Felix feels his cheeks grow hot. “I have, I have,” he insists. “Just... not like this.”

The friend observes him for a moment more before explaining. “Take them at least ten, preferably twenty, minutes before consuming. If you want your prey to have a decent experience, I suggest not eating for at least an hour or two beforehand. Then you just find someone who wants to get inside you, take them somewhere private, and do your thing. Then you get a full belly for a while, the prey gets a safe spot to rest, everyone goes home happy.”

“That’s it?” Felix says before he realizes how giddy he sounds.

The friend shrugs. “Yeah, for the most part. Maybe have a signal so you know when they want out again, but other than that, it’s pretty straightforward.”

Felix looks at the pills in his hands with a new light. “Thank you,” he says. He feels like a new door has just been opened to him.

“No problem,” the friend responds before grabbing another beer and leaving to talk with someone else.

Felix goes into the party practically vibrating. He already has the neutralizers ready once he starts talking to a cute prey girl not even an hour in. Twenty minutes later, she’s in his lap, pressing her lips and tongue into his, running her fingers down his chest and belly. Felix’s fingers twitch on her small arms. He’s suddenly itching to devour her right there in the middle of the party. But neutralizers or not, public consumption isn’t acceptable.

So instead, he leans close to her ear and breathes, “Do you want to go back to my room? I have a single.”

The girl bends forward and catches his bottom lip between her teeth before answering, “Take me there.”

Felix doesn’t hesitate to swallow down the pills he’s been given. It’s a weird sensation. He’d never noticed his stomach feeling particularly _alive_ , but once the neutralizers begin working their magic, his insides feel oddly dead.

The sensation is immediately disregarded, however, once they’re alone in Felix’s room. They’re barely in the door before he’s lifting her up so she can wrap her legs around his waist. A minute or so later, their clothes are lying abandoned on the ground.

Felix is shaking the whole time, mostly from nerves and excitement. He’s never done something like this before. Nerves combined with alcohol make him feel sloppy and rushed, but his prey doesn’t seem to mind. It’s not even ten minutes later that he’s making quick arrangements for how long she wants to stay, and then he finally gets to the part he’s been waiting for.

The nigh painful stretching of his jaw and throat is something he hasn’t felt in over a year, but the experience of it is something he’ll never forget. He’s gulping down his prey eagerly, surprising even himself how soon it is before he feels the last of her pushed into his stomach.

He’s laying in bed, marveling at how much easier a cooperative prey is to get down. He didn’t expect how much more pleasant it would be to have a calm prey curled up inside him. Soon enough, he’s drifting asleep as he feels her slow and steady breathing within him, punctuated by the occasional shifting into a more comfortable position. While he teeters on the edge of consciousness, he can’t help thinking that there’s something missing from the experience that was there before.

It isn’t until he’s awoken by the prey girl giving the signal to be let out. It’s not until after he gets a painful reminder of how awful regurgitation feels. It doesn’t come to him until the girl thanks him and he sees her off with a kiss that he really wishes he could extend into something more. It’s not until after all of that does he realize what was missing from his first safe and consensual consuming experience.

It was how dead the neutralizers made his stomach feel.

* * * * * * * * * *

The neutralizers give Felix an unexpected discomfort in his stomach, but the pleasure of finally feeling full, if only for an hour or two, makes it well worth it. The neutralizers soon become a sort of saving grace for Felix. It doesn’t take long for him to graduate from catching a few being passed around at parties, to buying himself entire bottles of the things, to finally being the one other preds go to if they need a last minute fix.

He starts out only consuming every other weekend or so, but he absolutely despises how empty he feels right after releasing his prey. The more often he does it, the more often he feels the craving to do it again. The post-consuming emptiness becomes harder and harder to ignore. Pretty soon, Felix is picking up prey whenever he can.

He’ll take any tips he can from his upperclassmen peers: Be as gentle or rough as your prey wants. Make sure they enjoy themselves before you consume them. Always respect how long they want to be inside you. Keep your insides clean. Show your appreciation to them both before and after consumption. Remember, a prey who has a good time is a prey who’ll want to come back for more.

Felix takes everything to heart, and by the time he’s reached his junior year, he’s established quite a solid reputation for himself.

His name gets passed around in both pred and prey circles. “Felix” quickly gets shortened to “Lix” and from there somehow it morphs into “Lux.”

Lux. Lux Feuerbach.

“Go to Lux if you need a few extra neutralizers. He always has extras on hand,” preds say to each other. “Ask Lux. He knows a few prey who are into rough stuff and roleplay. He can point you in the right direction.” “Lux, do you think you can hook me up with that prey girl who supposedly tastes like candy?”

And prey talk just as much about him. “You should find Lux for your first time,” they say. “He was my first and he was incredibly gentle and accommodating the whole time. It really helped with my nerves.” “If you’re looking for something extra kinky, after a threesome, Lux Feuerbach once consumed both me and my girlfriend at once, and let me tell you, being inside a pred together takes things to a whole new level.”

In between partying and consuming, Felix studies hard and keeps his grades up. The last thing he wants is to be kicked out of college. He doesn’t really have a plan for how to handle consuming once he’s out. It would really put a damper on things if he was forced to leave sooner than expected. Besides, his father has high expectations for him, and disappointing him might actually be worse than getting kicked out.

And beyond all that, Felix starts seeing a girl. He’s only been with her for a few weeks, but things have been going well. It was harder than he expected to find someone. Not a lot of preds he’d been interested in had tolerated very well him being with prey so often. Felix isn’t willing to drop his habits just for a romantic relationship, so he’s stayed single for nearly three years of college. But this girl is different.

Lilian understands Felix in a way that no other pred has before. Lilian gets his need to consume. In fact, they meet at a party where she’s one of many seeking Felix out for a few extra neutralizers. They get to talking, then one thing leads to another and they’re dating within the month.

They start tag teaming at parties, rooting out the best prey options for each other. Then they go their separate ways for the night, enjoying who they’ve selected and meeting back up in the morning.

Of course, there are still nights they spend together where it’s just the two of them.

“Lux?” Lilian murmurs one night in the darkness, her voice soft and sleepy.

“Hm?” Felix says, feeling just as sleepy as she sounds. It’s nearly four in the morning now.

“Have you ever digested before?”

Suddenly, Felix isn’t so sleepy anymore. “No. Why?”

He feels her shrug against him. “Just wondering. You seem like you’d like it.”

Felix’s chest goes tight. With the freedom of consuming safely, he’d almost forgotten the pit that the thought of digestion puts in his stomach. But he has only a little over a year until graduation, and after that, so far, the only immediate option he’s come up with for continuing consuming is asking his father to provide him with prey. And he knows his father never consumes safely.

Felix still hasn’t decided that, if it comes down to it, would he be able to choose quitting consuming cold turkey over starting consuming with digestion? Every time he spends more than a minute contemplating it, his mind always circles back to that frantic night with the prey man, and he has to stop thinking about it entirely.

He glances at Lilian out of the corner of his eye. “Have you?” he asks, almost fearing her answer.

“A few times.”

A shiver runs up Felix’s spine.

“My father does,” he blurts without thinking.

Lilian props her head up on her hand. “Does he?”

Felix nods. “Yeah, all the time.”

“How does he manage that?”

A pause. Felix nearly admits his father works at the Facility. Even out here, preds and prey alike have heard of it, even if they didn’t grow up with all the wild rumors. But he stops himself and says instead, “He has the means to order contracted prey whenever he wants.”

Lilian tilts her head. “Really now? So why haven’t you taken advantage of it?”

Felix shrugs. He doesn’t think now is the time to recount his entire complex history with prey and consuming.

“I really do think you’d enjoy it,” Lilian says again.

“Yeah? What makes it so much different than consuming without digesting?”

Felix can’t help the challenge rising in his voice, but this only seems to amuse Lilian.

“You’d see,” she assures him. “It’s so much more. So much more... fulfilling.”

Felix swallows, remembering how, even after all the times he’d used them, he still hates the way neutralizers make his stomach feel. And how he hates even more the feeling of releasing his prey.

He doesn’t have the words to respond, but Lilian doesn’t seem to be looking for him to say anything. She’s said what she wanted to say, and that’s the end of it for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: mature - implied sexual activity, discussion of sexual acts; vore - m/f, safe, size difference, willing pred, willing prey, brief mention of multiple prey, mentions of fatal, discussion of fatal/digestion


	15. Lilian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilian introduces Felix to a new experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upfront, there is a sex scene featured (although quite tamely written imo) in this chapter as well as some darker themes that I think haven’t really been so explicitly explored in the story so far. 
> 
> There are more detailed contents warnings in the end notes!

A few weeks later, Lilian is telling Felix about a party happening at another university about an hour’s trip down the road.

“It’s going to be huge,” she tells him excitedly. “An end of the year bash that lasts basically all week. And I know a few people who go there so we can have a place to crash for the night. We won’t have to worry about designated drivers or anything.”

“Oh yeah?” Felix says, eyebrows going up. “Any prey gonna be there?”

A crooked grin spreads across Lilian’s face. “I wouldn’t be suggesting it if there weren’t.”

Felix returns the grin and hooks an arm around her waist, pulling her in close. “I like the way you think,” he mutters before catching her chin with his free hand and tilting her lips up to his.

They go that Friday, and Lilian’s right. They’re crammed inside a frat house and there are already a lot of prey there. Many Felix has never even met before. His eyes are shining with excitement at the possibilities. He makes to split up with Lilian, starting their usual prowling search for prey for each other, but Lilian holds him back.

He shoots her a questioning look, and she pulls him back into her. She moves his hands to her hips as she begins dancing to the pulsing music.

“Why don’t we stay together for now?” she shouts over the noise. “I have something special planned for tonight.”

“Do you now?” Felix asks. “You have me more than interested.”

Lilian doesn’t answer. Only smiles and dances with him for several songs. Before Felix realizes it, he’s been passed enough drinks that he’s feeling reasonably drunk. He’s finding it harder and harder to keep his hands off Lilian. Not that she’s anything but encouraging with the way her fingers glide over his skin and her lips follow the curve of his neck.

When he can’t take it any longer, he pulls her aside and asks, “Hey, is there a place we can go?”

Her mouth curves into a lazy half-smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”

She holds his hand and leads him up a darkened staircase where other couples have already taken refuge in the shadows, pressed tight to one another. They keep going until Lilian is pulling him into an empty bedroom and shutting the door behind them.

“Whose room is this?” Felix asks between breathless kisses. Lilian’s weight has his backed pinned to the now closed bedroom door.

“My friend’s,” she explains. “He’s spending the night with his girlfriend and he said we can use his room while he’s away.”

“Well, that was nice of him,” Felix says before hoisting Lilian up onto his waist.

She wraps her legs around him as he walks them to the bed. He sits on the edge so she’s resting on his lap. A few moments later she’s biting his neck and working her way down to his chest. Felix pauses a moment to pull his shirt over his head.

“Wait,” Lilian says, pressing two fingers to his lips when he leans forward to resume.

Felix pulls back. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to bring you my surprise before we go any farther.”

Felix cocks his head. “Alright,” he says slowly. He’s still wound up and wants to get back to kissing Lilian as soon as possible.

Lilian slides off his lap and to the floor. “It might take a little while.”

Felix’s shoulders drop. “Is it really that important?”

She nods, a sly grin playing over her mouth. “I promise it’ll be worth it. Just be ready when I get back.”

“Believe me, that won’t be the hard part.”

Lilian just gives him a playful smile before slipping out of the room.

The minutes tick by, and Felix grows more and more restless. He watches the clock tick by five minutes, then ten, then fifteen. By the time twenty minutes have gone past, he’s about ready to go find Lilian himself, see if everything is okay, when he hears her laughing outside the door. She’s clearly talking to someone, and Felix sits up straighter.

The door swings open and in steps Lilian. Following her, being led by her hand much in the way Felix was earlier, is a prey guy. He’s looking up at Lilian with a drunken smile, clearly expecting to get lucky.

He stops, however, when Lilian shuts the door behind him, locking it with an audible click. The prey’s eyes fall on Felix, still sitting on the bed.

“What’s going on?” the prey guy asks, his excitement quickly dwindling to nervousness.

Felix looks at the prey then to Lilian. “Yeah, what _is_ going on?” he repeats.

The smile doesn’t leave Lilian’s face. “Lux, this is your present.”

The prey guy’s face pales. “Him?” he says, looking between Lilian and Felix. “This isn’t what I agreed to.” He backs towards the door but Lilian puts her hand out to stop him.

Felix rises, suddenly feeling like things are going in a direction he doesn’t like.

“You know I haven’t taken any neutralizers,” he says, crossing the room to Lilian and keeping his voice low.

“I know,” she replies, her eyes sparkling. “That’s the point. I told you I thought you’d like digestion. Now’s your chance.”

The prey guy’s eyes practically bug out of his head. “You brought me here to be digested?” he squeaks.

Felix is at a loss for words. “I— I can’t do that,” he says, his voice shaking.

“Lux, I know you’re scared now, but once you experience digestion, you’ll never want to go back.”

But Felix is already shaking his head. “I can’t.... The law— If we’re caught—“

“We won’t be,” Lilian assures him. “We won’t be, I promise. He goes to school here. There’s no connection to us. By the time someone realizes he’s missing, we’ll be long gone.”

The prey guy’s eyes go wide and tears begin streaming freely from them. He’s shaking his head as Felix glances down at him. “Please, don’t,” he begs, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Lilian leans into Felix’s ear. “Besides, you have to do it now. We can’t let him go after everything he’s heard.”

“I won’t,” the prey stammers. “I won’t tell anyone, I swear. Just let me go. I don’t want to die.”

“I can’t,” Felix tries to tell Lilian, even as he does he realizes she’s right. If word gets out about this, not only will he likely face disciplinary action, but his carefully crafted reputation will be in ruins. Even if he manages to avoid expulsion, he’ll never be able to get a willing prey to trust him again. “If someone _has_ to do it, why can’t it be you?”

Lilian shakes her head. “As much as I’d like to, I can’t. I had to take neutralizers in front of him before he’d trust me enough to follow me up here. It’s all on you now, Lux.”

Felix looks down at the prey who’s now a blubbering mess. The prey won’t stop shaking his head and muttering, “No, no, no,” under his breath.

Felix grits his teeth. He doesn’t see any other way around it.

“Fine,” he snaps. “I’ll do it.”

Both Lilian and the prey freeze. Lilian bursts into an ecstatic grin. The prey’s face drops into a look of absolute terror.

The prey spins on his heel and ducks beneath Lilian’s arm, lunging for the the doorknob.

He draws in breath to scream at the same moment Lilian urgently says, “Lux!”

Felix dives for the prey. He claps a hand from behind over the guy’s mouth just as the prey starts shouting, “Hel—”

In one fluid movement, Felix drags his prey away from the door, wraps his free arm around the guy’s waist, and lifts him into the air. Felix balances the prey against his chest, trying to avoid the kicking and punching, trying to muffle the screaming. It feels oddly like he’s holding a child having a temper tantrum.

Lilian follows excitedly as Felix moves the prey to the bed and throws him down. For a moment, the prey is too shocked to move. Felix seizes the moment to flip the prey onto his back, grab him by the shirt, and jerk him to a sitting position.

The prey stares up at Felix, shaking like a leaf.

“P-please,” he begs again.  


Felix leans in close, lips right beside the guy’s ear, and breathes, “I really am sorry for this.”

The prey inhales sharply, but Felix doesn’t wait to hear what he might say.

With practiced precision, he shoves the guy’s head past his lips, all the way to the back of his throat, and swallows. The guy immediately starts thrashing again. Lilian clasps her hands together in excitement. Felix grimaces as he’s suddenly reminded how painful consuming an unwilling prey can be.

“Go on,” Lilian hisses in his ear. “You can do it.”

Felix snatches the hands beating at him and wrenches them down before taking another swallow.

“Yes, Lux,” Lilian says. “He’s just food to you now. Don’t be afraid to make sure he knows it.”

He takes another swallow and can’t help the quiet moan that escapes him as he feels the prey begin to enter his stomach. For the first time in years, he doesn’t have to deal with the stifling effect of the neutralizers. He can feel _everything_. He can feel the way his stomach contracts excitedly around its new occupant.

“Yes, Lux,” is all Lilian says now. “Yes.”

She’s behind him, her arms wrapped around him, her hands running down his bare chest.

As Felix manages another swallow, Lilian’s hands slide down to his expanding midsection. Felix nearly chokes on his meal from gasping at the contact. He’s never had a third party accompany him while consuming. At least, not like this. He doesn’t expect Lilian’s fingers running over his increasingly sensitive skin to feel so... so good.

“That’s it,” she whispers to him. “Keep going. You’re almost there.”

Felix takes another swallow but can barely concentrate on the task at hand. Lilian’s steady hands running down the sides of his very active belly are making his brain short circuit.

All he has left now are the feet so he forces himself to take one last swallow. A few moments later, his entire prey is tucked tight within him.

Felix leans forward as he’s finally able to gasp for breath. His relief is short-lived, however, when, only seconds later, his prey starts fighting wildly inside him. He grits his teeth through the pain. He thought he’d gotten stronger as a pred, but this is nothing like what he’s gotten used to. He can’t believe he’d forgotten what it’s like.

“You did it,” Lilian breathes.

She breaks Felix out of his stupor long enough to get him to turn around and sit on the edge of the bed. Lilian’s face is positively glowing by the time Felix can see her.

“You really did it,” she says again before leaning forward to kiss Felix so deeply he can barely stand it.

He flinches back as his prey hits a sensitive spot with its struggles.

Lilian’s eyes search Felix’s face. “It already feels different, doesn’t it?” she asks, her hands dropping back down to his belly.

Felix tilts his head back as her hands run careful circles over the taut skin. The soft feeling of it is like a remedy to all the painful jabs at his insides.

“Yeah,” Felix manages. “Yeah, it’s definitely a lot different.”

Lilian’s only response is to laugh. Then she crouches and plants a gentle kiss on his belly. Felix shivers at her touch. She seems to take this as an invitation and continues kissing all the way down. After only a minute, Felix is squirming so much that he has to lean back and brace himself on the bed behind him.

Lilian presses a little harder and forces a small whimper out of him. She pulls away and he immediately regrets the sound.

Before he can protest, however, she asks, “Are you ready for more?”

Yes, Felix wants to answer so badly. But another part of him is afraid.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” he admits.

“I know,” Lilian tells him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything this time. I’ll take care of everything. Just hold off on digestion until I say so. Got it?”

All Felix can do is nod.

“Good.”

Lilian stands and kisses him again before pushing him back onto the bed. Felix slides himself until he’s fully on then watches Lilian climb on top of him. Without another word, she goes back to soothing his belly.

Felix swallows as, between kissing and rubbing, Lilian pulls her shirt over her head and unlatches her bra. Felix makes as if to sit up. He wants to touch her so badly. But Lilian shakes her head and presses a hand to his chest.

“I told you that you don’t have to do anything,” she reminds him gently.

Reluctantly, Felix lies back down. Not much longer, his eyes fall closed as he lets the feeling of Lilian working on his belly overtake him.

His stomach responds in kind to her touch. It knows what it wants. But Felix holds back, both because Lilian told him to and because, despite everything, he still doesn’t want to go through with the digestion.

He opens his eyes again when Lilian pauses long enough to strip off the last of her clothes. She catches him watching her and shoots him a winning smile.

“Your turn,” she tells him then undoes the button of his pants. He shifts enough so she can pull them off, then he’s finally free. Her skin feels warm against his.

“Ready?” Lilian asks.

Felix nods. Yes. Yes, he’s _been_ ready.

A gasp catches in his throat as she lowers herself onto him. He feels her shiver around him. Then she starts moving her hips, back and forth, up and down. She leans forwards so each movement grinds into Felix’s sensitive midsection.

Felix can’t help himself. His hands go to her hips, and thankfully, this time, she doesn’t protest. She lets him gently guide her movements on him, steering her in just the right direction each time.

“Now when you release,” Lilian tells him, her voice tight, “that’s the moment I want you to start digestion. Understand?”

Felix nods even though he still has no intentions of digesting.

Lilian rests a hand on his belly. “You’re doing absolutely perfect.”

Felix doesn’t respond. He can’t. He’s teetering on the edge now, trying to hold off just a bit longer, make it last for just a moment more.

Lilian’s fingers suddenly clench and dig into his skin.

“Do it,” she demands. “Now.”

So he does.

Felix’s back arches as he feels an insurmountable wave of pleasure wash over him. His grip is like iron on Lilian’s hips. He hears her cry out with him. Sparks go off behind his eyes. And through it all, his stomach contracts around his prey, flexing and preparing to do what Felix was born to do.

For the first time, his prey’s panicked flails feel good, really good. Felix wants more. He doesn’t want it to ever end.

His stomach is more than willing, but there’s still a grain of doubt burning in the back of his mind. Through the sparks in his eyes, he can’t help but picture the look of fear in his prey’s eyes. The same one he saw in prey man’s eyes the very first time he consumed. The same one that flashed in Benji’s eyes right before it switched to one of acceptance. Felix hates that look most of all.

So he squeezes his own eyes closed and forces everything in his stomach to shut down.

A moment later and he’s sinking back into the bed, every part of him feeling like he’s floating on air. Every part, that is, except for his middle.

Lilian looks down at him. Her hair is a little messy and her cheeks flushed.

“Did you do it?” she asks, leaning down and reverently taking Felix’s belly in her hands. “Did you start digestion?”

Felix nods, hoping there isn’t a way for her to feel from the outside.

The corners of Lilian’s mouth rise upwards and she leans forward to snuggle into what she thinks is Felix’s stomach at work.

“Mmm,” she hums, “I knew you could do it.” She sits up enough to look into Felix’s eyes, resting her chin on her hands. “Wasn’t it as amazing as I promised?”

“Even better,” Felix lies through his teeth.

Lilian is practically glowing.

“One day,” she tells him, “we’ll be rich enough that we don’t have to do it this way. Don’t have to drive an hour out of our way and trick our way into trapping a prey. We’ll have a perfectly willing prey delivered right to our front door. And we won’t have to hide a thing.”

Felix gives her a weak smile, disarmed by her sudden use of “we.”

Lilian doesn’t seem to notice. She sits up again and grabs Felix’s wrists, pulling them so he’s forced to sit up too. She leans forward so that his belly is pressed tight between them, something his prey doesn’t seem to appreciate. Lilian smiles as she feels the movement against her own stomach.

She cups Felix’s face in her hands. “It’s your turn now,” she tells him. “I want you to take control.”

Felix searches her face. “I’m not sure how. Not like this, I mean.”

“You will,” she assures him. “You’ll have me to help, but I know it’ll come to you. It’s only natural.”

Felix doesn’t move for a long moment. They sit there, staring into each other’s eyes, feeling the weight of the helpless prey between them.

Then, without warning, Felix wraps his arm around the small of Lilian’s back and flips her so she’s underneath him. Her look of surprise quickly lifts to one of eagerness. She’s beaming.

And it turns out she’s right. Felix does know exactly what to do.

* * * * * * * * * *

It’s the early hours of the morning when Felix awakens. The first thing he sees is Lilian right next to him, still fast asleep.

His hand goes to his belly. He can feel his prey breathing slowly but steadily inside him. The guy must be asleep.

Felix looks back to Lilian and knows he can’t do this anymore.

He feels his prey wake as he sits up and starts dressing. He carries his shoes in one hand, careful not to make a sound as he crosses to the door. He stops and looks back at Lilian one last time. His throat tightens as he does. He wishes things could have turned out different.

He doesn’t look back as he slips out the door, checking the hall for anyone else, but he appears to be the only one awake so early. He walks down the hall, checking each door until he finds a bathroom. Once he’s inside, he locks the door.

Regurgitating prey is familiar to him now, but he still doesn’t like it. It’s even worse when his stomach has been on the edge of digestion for hours, lying in wait for a moment Felix keeps denying it. His insides protest as he forces his stomach to empty itself.

Less than a minute later, the prey guy is sputtering on the bathroom floor, looking worse for wear but still whole and alive.

He blinks up at Felix. “You— you released me?”

Felix nods. “I did say I couldn’t digest you.”

The prey guy’s eyes flick to the door behind Felix then back again. “But I thought—“

“Never mind any of that,” Felix snaps. He’s growing more fed up with the situation by the second. “I held back, okay? Be happy with that.”

The prey guy’s face twists into a look of disgust. “Didn’t exactly feel like you were holding anything back last night.”

Felix’s cheeks grow hot and he leans close to the prey, causing him to startle and scramble back an inch or two.

“Listen to me,” Felix hisses. “I may not have digested you, but my girlfriend won’t be so kind. If word of last night ever gets out, she won’t hesitate to come back and find you. Then you really _will_ be digested. Got it?”

The prey guy nods so fast Felix thinks his head might pop off.

“Good,” Felix says. “Now get cleaned and get the hell out of here.”

He turns and exits without another word.

He doesn’t know how well his threat will hold, but he figures he’ll be far from campus soon and it won’t matter. Even if anything circles back to him, he has no doubt his father will be able to sort things out.

Once outside the bathroom, Felix slips his shoes back on and leaves the frat house. He spends some time hunting down someone from his college that he can catch a ride back with. Once he finds someone, it doesn’t take much convincing. Most people are eager to be on Lux Feuerbach’s good side.

Felix makes it back to campus in time for breakfast. Something he’s grateful for since last night left him absolutely starving.

Lilian doesn’t manage to track him down until it’s nearly dinner time.

“Where in the hell have you been?” she snaps after barging into Felix’s dorm room. She glances at Felix’s completely flat stomach but doesn’t say anything. “Do you have any idea how awful it was to wake up this morning having no clue where you were?”

Felix doesn’t have a good answer for that, which only makes Lilian more upset.

She doesn’t get any less upset when he tells her he thinks they need to break up, that he doesn’t think their values align as well as he once thought they did. She begs him for another chance when he tells her he never wants a repeat of last night. He doesn’t give it to her. He only tells her how she values her own wants over his and how forcing him into a position like she did last night is completely unacceptable.

“But you _liked_ everything I did to you afterwards,” Lilian whines. “Why can’t you understand I did everything _for you_?”

But that doesn’t matter, and he tells her that. It’s a position he doesn’t budge from for the entire hour it takes for Lilian to tire herself out.

Finally she tells Felix to, “Go fuck yourself,” and slams the door on the way out.

Felix sinks into bed, glad it’s all finally over.

He never does date anyone for the rest of college. No one else is quite like Lilian. No one else quite understands his hunger the way she does. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, because maybe there’s only one kind of person who can understand him like that, and if so, Felix never wants to be around another person like that ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: dark themes; unhealthy relationship; manipulation; fearplay; mature - tamely written (imo) sex scene, f/m, post-vore, light fem-domme, praise kink, belly worship; vore - m/m, size difference, dubcon/semi-willing pred, unwilling prey, post-vore, discussions of fatal, various mentions of digestion, non-fatal


	16. The Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camille begins college and meets many new people, some better than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contents warnings in the end notes!

When Camille starts college, she only knows one other person there— Benji, her older brother. It’s his senior year, and thankfully he doesn’t seem to mind that his kid sister chose to go to the same school as him.

Despite the fact that Benji has already spent three full years at this college, he admits that he doesn’t actually know a lot of people there. Camille is determined not to let this happen to her. She wants to know more people than just Benji. She wants to know more people than Benji himself knows.

Camille has never been one to wait for things to happen to her. She was involved with numerous clubs and after school activities back in high school. She can’t wait to find out what new opportunities await her in higher education. So, the moment she’s finally settled on campus, she starts looking into what clubs are available.

There are, of course, the usual clubs— theater, film, photography, etc. But Camille’s eye is caught when she sees a Pred/Prey Alliance club on campus. She hasn’t spent much time around any preds since Felix, and she hasn’t seen him for about four years now. Benji always insists that they had simply grown apart, but Camille doesn’t believe that. She’s sure some fight or disagreement happened between them, but she never presses Benji about it.

Still, she had grown up with Felix and still misses him every once in awhile. She knows not all preds are going to be just like him, but he had been kind enough that Camille’s willing to believe she can form other meaningful relationships with preds. And, according to the club’s description, that’s what the Alliance is all about.

She shows up to the first meeting a little nervous but otherwise excited. True to the club’s description, the room is populated more or less equally with pred and prey students. She looks around, wondering if there’s someone she should talk to about officially joining.

“Hey, there!” a friendly voice says from off to the side.

Camille turns to look and sees a handsome pred with dark hair and sparkling green eyes heading her way.

“You new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Camille can’t help but to smile as he approaches. “My name is Camille. I’m a freshman,” she explains. “But I was interested in joining.”

The pred flashes an excited grin. “Welcome, Camille. I’m Gordon. I’m a junior and treasurer of the club. I think you’ll really like it here. Everyone is great. Why don’t you come find a seat for the meeting? Actually, I think there’s an empty one right by where I’m sitting....”

Camille spends the meeting entranced by the energy in the room. Everyone is there to build a welcoming environment and friendly community. Right away, Camille meets several preds and prey she can see herself becoming friends with, including Gordon whose side she spends the whole meeting by.

The next morning, she meets Benji for breakfast and can’t help chattering on about the meeting to him.

“It’s like... we shouldn’t have to live separate and in fear of one another, you know? I mean, of course I knew that before, but I didn’t really _think_ about it until last night. Everyone has such different experiences, and I think we could really benefit from getting to know one another better.”

Benji’s mouth in a thin, straight line as he listens.

Camille raises a brow. “What’s wrong? You disagree?”

Benji shakes his head and takes a bite of sausage. “No, I guess not. I’m glad you’re happy there. Just, you know, be careful around large groups of strange preds.”

Camille rolls her eyes. “There’s a just as large group of strange prey there as well. I’d think, of anyone, you’d understand best the intentions of this club. I know you and Felix don’t really talk anymore, but you two were a textbook example of what the Alliance strives for. You didn’t let what you guys are define your friendship. Your relationship transcended that. That’s all the Alliance wants.”

Benji’s grip tightens on his fork and he swallows hard. “Yeah,” he breathes, still not meeting Camille’s eyes, “I know. We did have a great relationship.” He puts his fork down and finally looks at Camille. “Just promise me that you’ll still be careful? I’ve been at this school a bit longer than you and have learned that, sometimes, things can still get out of hand when you least expect it.”

Camille sighs. “Yeah, alright. Whatever you say.”

Benji still seems unsatisfied but doesn’t press the matter further.

Deep down, Camille can’t help but think about how nice Gordon was to her at the meeting, and she’s sure he would never hurt her.

* * * * * * * * * *

As the semester progresses, so too do Camille’s relationships with her newfound friends, particularly Gordon. Lately, he’s been walking her to class when he can and sitting with her at mealtimes. Benji looks at Gordon suspiciously every time he joins the table for breakfast. Camille tries not to let it get to her. She knows Benji is just being a protective older brother, but Camille is an adult now. She can take care of herself. Plus, Benji’s immediate distrust of every pred he meets kind of makes him look like an asshole. Not that Camille would tell him that.

One weekend, Gordon invites Camille out for dinner and drinks with a few other friends. Camille eagerly agrees. She’s never done anything off campus with him before, and going out together, even if there are other people involved, feels like a step up in their relationship.

The night comes, and Camille meets up with the group in a crowded pub downtown. Besides Gordon, there’s a prey guy, also from the Alliance, whose name is Charlie. He’s a freshman like Camille, and between club meetings and sharing two classes with him, Camille knows him pretty well. He’s a bit of a nerd but has a good sense of humor about it.

The fourth person in their party is a senior pred girl named Hanna. She isn’t part of the Alliance, but Gordon says she’s interested.

“She’s had troubles in the past with making prey friends,” Gordon tells Charlie and Camille ahead of time. “But she says she really wants to. She’s even interested in joining the Alliance. So just be cool, and hopefully she’ll have a great time.”

Camille and Charlie nod solemnly. Camille is excited at the possibility of getting this new girl to join the alliance.

The evening at the pub goes well. If Gordon hadn’t said anything beforehand, Camille never would have guessed Hanna had trouble getting along with prey in the past. She has a biting sense of humor and a lot of good stories to tell. Camille notices Charlie laughs extra hard at all Hanna’s stories.

When they’re nearing the end of their time at the pub, Charlie and Hanna have more or less sunken into a one-on-one conversation between the two of them. Camille doesn’t mind. That just means she doesn’t have to worry about sharing her own conversations with Gordon.

Maybe that’s why, when the waitress brings the checks around, Gordon is able to notice the flash of disappointment in Camille’s eyes.

He leans forward.

“Do you want to come back to my place? I have a few beers in the fridge. We can keep the party going.”

Camille’s heart flutters in her chest.

“Please tell me that invitation extends to all of us,” Hanna says as she leans in towards Gordon.

Camille’s spirits dampen. Just a little bit.

The corners of Gordon’s mouth rise. “Of course,” he says. “Charlie, are you in?”

“If there’s alcohol, I’m in,” Charlie says with a laugh.

Twenty minutes later and they’re all in Gordon’s apartment, music playing, ice cold beer in hand. At one point, Charlie and Hanna go out on the back deck to smoke, leaving Camille and Gordon alone in the living room.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Gordon tells her as he leans back into the couch.

His arm brushes Camille’s shoulder and a shiver runs up her spine.

“Thanks for inviting me,” she replies, looking up to him. “I had a great time.”

Gordon gives her a crooked grin and turns to face her a little more, resting his arm on the back of the couch as he does so. The couch is pred sized, which means the back of it rises far above Camille’s shoulders, but the motion is enough. His arm is around the space she sits and she likes it there.

Their conversation becomes very hushed. Camille barely pays her drink any mind. It feels every minute that passes, Gordon’s face is closer to her own.

“Camille...” he starts to say, his eyes flicking to her lips.

“Yes?” she breathes.

The door to the back deck slides open. Gordon pulls away.

“Hey, Gordon!” Charlie calls. He and Hanna are laughing and holding hands. “Do you have any more drinks?”

Gordon stands and Camille suddenly feels cold sitting all alone on the couch.

“Yeah, I should,” he responds. “Give me a sec.”

Gordon disappears into the kitchen while Hanna and Charlie take a seat on the other side of the couch. Camille scrunches her nose at the pungent smell of weed coming off them.

Gordon appears in the kitchen doorway. “So,” he says, “I actually didn’t have as much as I thought, but the good news is I have a buddy in the next building over who will definitely spare me some more. Is everyone okay on their own for a few minutes while I go over and get some?”

He looks over all three of them on the couch, starting with Camille and ending pointedly on Hanna.

They all nod their heads. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

“Okay, great. I’ll be right back. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

Gordon grabs his keys, heads out of the apartment, and locks the door behind him.

Camille immediately resents being left alone with Charlie and Hanna. They’re far more intoxicated than her and are uncomfortably touchy feely. Less than two minutes go by before they‘re practically on top of each other. Camille subtly turns up the music a few notches to drown out the sounds of them making out. They don’t seem to notice.

Camille’s on the very far end of the couch, as far from Hanna and Charlie as she can get. She tunnel visions her phone, barely absorbing anything she scrolls past. Her ears are burning. She wishes she had thought to ask Gordon to join him on his beer run. She wishes Charlie and Hanna had waited just a minute longer to come in. She wishes they hadn’t overheard Gordon inviting her back to his place. This night could have gone so much differently.

After at least five minutes of managing to ignore Hanna and Charlie, Camille senses a sudden change in the room. She can’t pinpoint exactly what’s changed, but she feels a sinking in the pit of her stomach.

She glances over her shoulder towards the other end of the couch, hoping that what she senses isn’t that Hanna and Charlie have taken their make-out session to the next level.

Camille freezes in horror.

Charlie is halfway down Hanna’s throat, and Hanna is showing no signs of stopping. By the way Charlie’s feet kick wildly in the air, Camille is sure this isn’t what he wants.

A second goes by where Camille can only stare. She’s never seen someone consumed in person before. It’s horrifying, desperate, animalistic.

Another second and Camille comes to her senses. She needs to help Charlie.

She lunges forward, reaching for whatever part of Charlie she can get, but before she can even touch him, Hanna’s hand comes up and swats Camille away like a fly.

Camille slams into the arm of the couch. She lays there for a moment, dazed. When she comes back to her senses and sits up, it’s just in time to see the last of Charlie sliding into Hanna’s stomach.

Hanna’s mouth snaps shut and her eyes fall on Camille.

Camille’s gaze flicks between Hanna’s face and now engorged middle, a mounting fear rising within her. She can see it in Hanna’s expression what she plans to do only moments before it happens.

Driven by some survival instinct deep inside, Camille bolts for the door. Hanna is after her just as fast, seemingly uninhibited by the extra weight in her stomach.

Camille grabs the door and wrenches it open. But it doesn’t budge.

Panic rises in her as she remember’s Gordon locking the door behind him when he left. Camille fumbles with the lock, her hands shaking. She manages to turn it.

And then she feels someone grab her legs and jerk her backwards.

Camille lands face down on the ground, breath knocked from her. Something is still clutching at her legs, and before she can get her bearings, she feels her feet engulfed by something hot and tight and wet.

She looks down just as Hanna takes her first swallow, bringing Camille knee deep down her throat.

A scream wrenches itself from Camille’s throat. “No!” she shouts. She claws uselessly at the ground. “Help!” she cries, hoping someone, anyone will hear.

Camille attempts to kick her feet, hoping to at least losen Hanna’s hold over her, but it’s more than useless. Hanna’s grip is like iron, overwhelmingly strong.

Camille’s vision fogs with tears. She had no idea preds were _this_ much stronger than prey.

Hanna swallows again. Panic completely takes over Camille as she’s engulfed up to her hips. She feels her toes breach Hanna’s stomach and they brush against something that feels eerily like another living body.

Camille‘s head swirls as it finally hits her. This is actually happening. All her ideals and plans for the future are all crashing down around her.

Camille’s struggles and cries for help rise to a frenzy. She stares at the door willing it to open as precious seconds tick by.

Hanna swallows again. Camille is engulfed up to her torso. Her feet jam into what she’s sure now is Charlie. He twitches out of the way at the impact.

Then the front door swings open.

“What in the fuck?” Gordon says as he takes in the scene.

“Gordon,” Camille sobs. “Please, help me.”

The color is gone completely from Gordon’s face as he abandons the six pack he’s holding and rushes for Camille. He grabs ahold of her and pulls.

It’s a grueling tug of war, but Gordon is strong. Really, very strong. Thankfully, even stronger than Hanna.

Despite the situation, Camille feels a small tinge of fear towards him. Only minutes ago she’d been sitting with Gordon’s arm surrounding her. She’d felt safe then, unaware of what he was capable of. But now?

Camille slides free of Hanna’s greedy throat, feeling her feet leave Charlie behind.

Camille crawls as far away as she can, struggling to get her feet under her.

Hanna is left spluttering on the ground. She looks at Gordon with venom in her gaze. “What do you think you’re doing?” she spits.

She stumbles to her feet and takes an unsteady step towards Camille.

Gordon puts himself between them.

“Get out of here, Camille,” he growls over his shoulder. “ _Now!_ ”

Camille hesitates. She can’t take her eyes off Hanna’s belly. Charlie’s still in there.

“But what about—?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Gordon interrupts. “Just please, get out of here. It’s not safe.”

Camille swallows. She doesn’t need to be told again. She turns on her heel and sprints out of the apartment.

She doesn’t stop running until she’s back to her dorm room, the door locked tight, her lungs burning in her chest.

She crumbles to the floor, a sob wracking her body. She can’t get the feeling of her feet touching Charlie out of her mind.

When she’s able to, she calls Benji. Not even fives minutes later he’s rushing into her room and she’s sobbing in his embrace. Between hiccups and gasps, she’s able to explain what happened.

Benji remains stony faced the entire time. Not once does he say, “I told you so.”

* * * * * * * * * *

It takes less than 24 hours for the story to circulate through the entire school.

The story of how an intoxicated female senior pred consumed a freshman prey and nearly another after that. Another pred on the scene was unable to convince the first pred to release her prey so instead he had to call the authorities.

However, it turns out the female pred had suffered from a consuming addiction a few years back and was quite adept at digesting quickly. By the time emergency services arrived at the scene to administer a forced regurgitation, it was too late to save the prey. The pred was taken into custody and awaits trial for her crimes.

Camille isolates herself in her room for days. Not even Benji can convince her to come out.

After half a week goes by, there’s a knock on her door. She cracks it open and peeks outside.

“Hey,” Gordon says gently.

Camille’s mouth is suddenly dry. “Hey.”

Gordon shifts in the hall. “Can I come in?’

Camille hesitates. The rational side of her knows Gordon was the one who saved her life. She has no reason to think he’d ever hurt her. But a more instinctual side of her begs her not to trust him.

“I’d understand if you didn’t want me to,” Gordon says when Camille doesn’t reply right away.

Camille shakes her head, feeling suddenly guilty. “No, no. Come in.” She holds open the door.

Gordon nods and cautiously ducks inside. He looks around the dark and unkempt room. When the door closes he takes in a breath.

“Listen, Camille, I’m so sorry about what happened with Hanna,” he says in a rush. “If I had known that she’d do that—”

“But you did know,” Camille cuts him off. “You did know that she was an addict, didn’t you? You knew about the risk.”

Gordon shrinks in on himself. “She— she was recovering,” he tries to explain “She’s been clean for years now. I didn’t even know her when she was an addict. She genuinely wanted to change things and be friends with you guys. Or it seemed like she did. I thought this would be a good start. I thought having prey friends would make things easier for her to control her urges, give her something to hold onto. But I guess I was wrong. I guess the smoking and the drinking clouded her judgement. I didn’t think...”

“No,” Camille cuts him off, “you clearly didn’t think. And now Charlie is dead. I could be too right now if you’d been just a minute longer.”

“Camille....” Gordon murmurs.

She holds up a hand. “Please, don’t. I’m not sure who I can trust anymore.”

Gordon stops short. Then he takes a step forward, crouching slightly so he can look her in the eyes. “Camille, I need you to know how much I care for you, how much the Alliance and its values mean to me. I would never, ever do to you what Hanna did to Charlie. I can’t even imagine....” Gordon stops, choking on the last few words.

Camille feels her throat tighten in turn. She takes a few steps back. “I understand that you think that, and maybe it’s true, but I don’t think I can feel safe around you, or any preds for that matter, again.”

Gordon retracts, flinching like the words are a physical blow.

“You don’t mean that,” he says. “Hanna doesn’t represent us all. You know that. You know me and the other preds from the Alliance. It’s not like that.”

Camille swallows. “I do know. I know that logically, but here?” She presses her fingers into her sternum. “Here, it’s different.”

Gordon looks her over for a moment, his eyes distant and unreadable. Finally he nods. “I understand.”

“Thank you,” Camille responds. “Now, please. Go. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Gordon looks like he wants to object.

“Please,” Camille repeats.

Gordon sighs. “Okay. But just know, I’ll never stop caring about you, Camille. If you ever change your mind, if you ever need a friend, I’ll still be there. Just call.”

He doesn’t wait for her to respond. He simply slips out the door, leaving Camille alone in her room once more.

After that, the Alliance is quickly disbanded. Its members scatter and mostly lose contact. Instead, Camille joins another group. One for prey who’ve lost friends or family to consuming. It’s a small group. A quiet group. Much colder than the Alliance. She doesn’t really make any friends there.

For the rest of the school year, everyone only knows Camille as the girl who was almost consumed during The Incident. She hears more whispers behind her back than kind words to her face. The only person Camille has left to talk to is Benji. And the only comfort she has beyond that is that Hanna will never set foot on campus again.

She doesn’t talk to Gordon anymore, and true to his word, he keeps his distance.

Once Benji graduates, there’s no one left for Camille. She’s left to fend for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains: fearplay; trauma; drinking; drug use; vore - f/mf, size difference, multiple prey, willing pred, unwilling prey, fatal (offscreen)


	17. The Facility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After much goading, Felix’s father finally convinces him to take a tour of the Facility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the end of what I think of as The Transition Phase. The main story is soon to come!
> 
> Content warnings at the end!

Graduation comes and goes for Felix, and he still doesn’t have a plan for how he’s going to continue consuming.

His hometown is a relatively middle sized city with a decent downtown area. He’s sure there are places he can meet new prey who might be willing to go home with him. But going to a seedy club and convincing someone to drive all the way home with him is different than partying with peers and taking one across campus to his dorm room for the night. Besides, Lux doesn’t have a reputation here like he did at his university. And he very much does not have the patience to build one up again.

He considers the consuming dens downtown. They’re filled with cheap, publicly contracted prey, which Felix has no interest in. (Not that he personally has the funds for it, even if he were.) The dens are also filled with prey hookers, affectionately referred to as “latchers,” that specialize in being consumed safely for an agreed upon amount of time. They’re far cheaper than contracted prey, but not sustainable for a still unemployed Felix.

Of course, the easiest solution is to simply ask his father. His father has never been shy about offering to order Felix contracted prey. In fact, Felix often thinks his father _wants_ him to start consuming contracted prey. But contracted prey are only meant for fatal consuming and Felix still doesn’t want that.

Unfortunately, Felix doesn’t believe his father would be interested in paying off a latcher for him, so that brings him back to square one.

Perhaps Felix’s father senses his son’s cravings, because Felix is home for a only few weeks when his father leans forward across the breakfast table and says, “Felix, what would you think about joining me working at the Facility?”

Felix stops with a spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth. He feels his cheeks grow warm as both his mother and father look at him expectantly. Is his need to consume really that obvious? Or is this simply a question that his father has been waiting to ask?

“Um,” he stutters, searching wildly for a satisfactory excuse. “I’m not sure. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“I think you would like it,” his father responds, eyes shining. “In fact, I think you would excel at it.”

Felix plays with his food, avoiding his parents’ gazes. “I don’t know about that,” he mumbles. “I don’t really think I’m cut out for that kind of work.”

His father scoffs. “Nonsense. You digested your first prey in a record amount of time, Felix. Think of how powerful a pred you’d be if you could hone that skill. The Facility could really make use of someone like you.”

Felix takes a bite of cereal to stall for time. By the time he swallows, he still doesn’t have a good excuse so he just repeats, “I don’t know.”

His father peers at him strangely. “Most preds would jump at an opportunity like this,” he states, his voice flat.

“I know,” Felix replies. He feels like he’s in trouble, like he’s about to be reprimanded even though he’s a twenty-two year old adult now.

“How about this,” his father proposes, easing back a bit, “why don’t you come with me to work tomorrow? Have a look around? I’ll introduce you to everyone. Maybe it’ll help ease your worries.”

Felix nods. He’s trapped. He has no good excuse, and even if he did, his father always gets what he wants one way or another.

“Okay,” he agrees. “I’ll go with you tomorrow.“

His father smiles.

The next morning, Felix sits in the passenger seat of his father’s car. The same car, coincidentally, that Felix drove the day he first consumed.

Benji once sat in this passenger seat. Felix wonders what he’s been up to the past five years. Hopefully safe and surrounded by other prey friends who have his back.

It’s a forty minute drive to the Facility, so Felix has plenty of time for the dread to build inside him. His worries aren’t lessened when he finally sets his sights on the place. It’s a cold and dark building, all high fences and walls and barbed wires. Guards patrol everywhere. There are absolutely no windows. Felix feels a chill as he steps inside.

On the contrary, his father looks ecstatic. He’s beaming as he leads Felix down the stark hallways of the Facility. His chest is puffed whenever he introduces Felix to his co-workers, several of which Felix recalls meeting as a kid.

“You can call me Lux,” Felix is quick to say after every introduction. Not many people call him Felix anymore, only his parents and some old, close friends. It rubs him the wrong way for anyone here to be calling him that.

It’s the same thing he says when he’s finally introduced to one man who sends a shiver of intimidation downs Felix’s spine.

“And this,” Felix’s father says with a grand gesture, “is the man himself. Simeon Bakula, Head Supervisor of the entire Facility. He’ll teach you everything you need to know when... _if_ you choose to work here.”

A wide grin spreads across Supervisor Bakula’s face as he shakes Felix’s hand.

“Lux,” he says, “it’s wonderful to finally meet you. Your father always speaks so highly of you.”

Felix flashes an embarrassed smile. “Thank you. It’s good to meet you too.”

The Supervisor’s eyes take Felix in, calculating something.

“Is it alright if I take Lux on a tour myself?” he asks, turning his attention to Felix’s father. “I know you still have work to do, Feuerbach. I’m sure you’d appreciate the relief from babysitter duty.”

Felix’s father blinks in surprise then swells with flattery. “Yes, of course, Supervisor Bakula. Felix would love the opportunity.”

Felix most certainly would not love the opportunity. He feels nervous enough around the Supervisor as it is. Turning their time together into a one-on-one tour terrifies him, but he can already tell that the Supervisor isn’t the type of man who doesn’t get what he wants. And right now, he wants Felix for himself.

“Excellent,” the Supervisor says, his eyes sparkling. “Let’s be on our way then, Lux.”

Felix spares one last backward glance at his father who gives him an encouraging thumbs up.

Seconds later, it’s just Felix and the Supervisor.

They don’t speak as the Supervisor leads him down twisting hallways and looming stairways. Felix tries to keep a level head, but he can feel Bakula analyzing his every move.

The only time Supervisor Bakula says anything is when they approach a place of interest or he has an introduction to make. At those points, the Supervisor’s voice is warm and inviting. He makes everything in the Facility sound like a place of honor or privilege. After the first few descriptions, even Felix finds himself lulled into the fascinating world the Supervisor builds with history and importance.

After an exhaustive tour, the Supervisor stops in front of a door at the bottom of a lengthy stairwell. Felix is sure they’re deep underground now.

“Here,” the Supervisor says as he inserts a key into the door’s lock, “is where we keep our higher profile and more interesting prisoners.” The lock clicks open and the door swings inward. “There’s one here in particular I think you might find interesting, Lux.”

Felix raises his eyebrows, but the Supervisor only beckons him to follow. The door locks behind them with an air of finality.

“So,” the Supervisor says as they traverse the long, ominous hallway. It’s the first time he’s started a casual conversation between them. “Your father tells me you’re already a skilled predator.”

“Does he?” Felix asks, keeping his voice light.

“He tells me you managed to digest your first prey in only a single night’s time.”

Felix keeps his eyes straight ahead as he answers, “Yeah, he does say that.”

The Supervisor slows for a single step. “Is that inaccurate?”

Felix swallows. Confession time. “Would it surprise you,” he starts, “that a teenage boy would lie to his father because he didn’t want to disappoint him?”

The Supervisor glances at him. “No,” he says slowly, “it wouldn’t surprise me at all. So what’s the truth?”

The truth? The truth has been a closely guarded secret for half a decade now. It’s one Felix had hoped would never see the light of day. But it seems, maybe that’s impossible now.

“The truth is...” he tells the supervisor. “The truth is.. I tried. I tried to digest him, I really did. But—” Felix shrugs, struggling for the right words. “I don’t know. I couldn’t do it. Something stopped me. I slept through the night with him inside me and nothing happened. So I released him the next morning and let him go. I never saw or heard from him again.”

The Supervisor comes to a halt.

Felix has taken two extra steps before he realizes what’s happened and backtracks. He tries to keep his face neutral as he forces himself to face the Supervisor.

The Supervisor’s eyes are wide with surprise and are looking at Felix with renewed interest. Felix’s brow furrows. He had expected the Supervisor to be mad or at least disappointed.

“You went a whole night without digesting?” the Supervisor balks. “On your first prey? _While_ you were sleeping? And then you managed to convince him not to report you?”

Felix looks away. “I... well, yeah, I guess.”

A long moment passes where the Supervisor simply stares at Felix. Then, after what feels like an eternity, his face breaks into a grin. He slaps Felix on the shoulder.

“Son,” he says, “you’re more equipped for this job than I could have thought possible. Do you know how difficult it is for first time consumers to stop digestion? Nearly impossible, especially for that long, _especially_ while they’re asleep. And to have enough charisma to convince the prey afterwards not to report you? Son, you have the potential to become one of our best extractors yet.”

“Extractors?” Felix repeats, feeling more uncomfortable with each passing second.

“Interrogators,” the Supervisor explains with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Extractors have excellent control over their digestion. They can use consuming as a method to extract whatever information they need from prisoners without killing them completely. They’re also very good at getting prey to listen to and obey them. It’s a very delicate job that requires a lot of charisma.”

He means torturing them, Felix realizes. His stomach turns at the thought.

The Supervisor starts walking again, an extra spring in his step. Felix hurries to follow.

“I really am delighted you decided to join us today,” the Supervisor announces. “This new information does make what I have planned next even more exciting.”

Before Felix can ask what he means, the Supervisor stops in front of another door. He gestures towards it and says, “Your father told me you seemed hesitant to join us here, so I had the idea to give you a taste of what working at the Facility would be like. Behind this door is a prey I’d like to give you the honor of disposing for me.”

Felix pales “Disposing?”

The Supervisor nods. “Yes, disposal is one of the most important jobs here. Especially a disposal job in this ward. When your father and I agreed on this arrangement, we both thought this would be something familiar to pique your interest. But now that I know this will be an entirely new experience for you, I am even more excited to guide you through the process.”

Felix gapes. Disposal. He means consuming fatally. Right here, right now. He tries to think of some excuse, but his brain seems to have come to a standstill.

The Supervisor appears to take his horror as surprise. Without another word, he unlocks the cell door and steps inside.

Given no other choice, Felix follows.

The room beyond is dim and empty aside from one thing. There’s a man, prey, sitting in a chair, his arms and legs locked up. He looks at Felix in surprise when he enters.

“Who are you?” the prey asks, uncertainty tinging his voice. “You’re not my usual guy.” Even in the poor light, Felix can see he’s riddled with cuts and bruises and burns caused by stomach acids.

“This is Lux Feuerbach,” the Supervisor explains. “He’ll be taking care of your disposal today.”

The prey jerks against his chains. “My what?”

The Supervisor smiles. “You heard. Lux here is new, so I apologize in advance if this process doesn’t go as smoothly as usual.”

The prey’s face goes white and he struggles against his bonds again.

Felix leans towards the Supervisor and lowers his voice. “Who is this?”

“This,” the Supervisor spits, not bothering to lower his voice, “is a killer. He works for a new, up-and-coming radical group of prey called Epomis. Officially and publicly, their self-proclaimed mission is to achieve equality for prey amongst preds. However, in truth they are nothing but terrorists who’ll kill any preds in the way on their quest for absolute power and control. This particular prey has been found responsible for an attack that resulted in the deaths of two preds and the injury of seven others. I’m sure that’s not all he’s done either. He’s a monster that needs to be put down.”

The prey stops struggling long enough to say, “It’s nothing less than you deserve. It’s you who are the monsters here. You’re all monsters at your core and you know it. You kill us for your own enjoyment and without thought.”

“Our extractors have done all they can on him,” the Supervisor continues as if the prey hasn’t just had his little outburst, “and they are satisfied that they’ve gotten all possible information out of him. The only thing left now is his disposal.”

He nods towards Felix. “You may do the honors.”

Felix looks between the Supervisor and the prey, his heart beating wildly. This has happened all so quickly. He needs more time.

“Will you watch?” he asks, hoping, if he has to go through this, at least can do it privately.

The Supervisor nods. “All disposal jobs must have a supervisor present for security purposes. But don’t worry. I trust you can handle him.” He holds out a key and smiles. “If you will.”

Felix takes the key, trying not to let his shaking hands show.

He approaches the prey, refusing to look at the man, and unlocks his hands from the bonds. Immediately, the prey lunges at Felix, his teeth bared in an angry snarl. Before Felix can react, the Supervisor smacks the prey back into the chair with an audible  _thwack._

The prey lands heavily with the breath knocked out of him.

“Don’t make this worse than it has to be,” the Supervisor hisses. Then, in a normal voice, he says to Felix, “Be alert. Prey are not always cooperative.”

Felix nods, even more shaken than before, and bends to unlock the prey’s feet. He hands the key back to the Supervisor before taking a step back and looking over his prey.

The man hasn’t moved at all since the Supervisor slapped him. Instead, he now looks at Felix with a mix of unbridled fear and hatred. Felix’s insides twist. He doesn’t think he’s ever been looked at like that before.

Felix hesitates, suddenly unsure of how to continue. He’s consumed prey under a variety of circumstances but never one quite like this. He tries to imagine what he’d do if this were happening under willing circumstances.

He meets his prey’s eyes and jerks his chin upwards. “Stand up,” he says, surprised by how steady his voice comes out.

The prey doesn’t move. Out of the corner of his eye, Felix sees the Supervisor tilt his head.

Felix grits his teeth. In one swift moment, he grabs the prey by his shirt collar and hauls him to his feet.

“I said get up,” he snarls. He can’t tell if he’s still feigning confidence or if it’s actually coming to him now. Either way, adrenaline bursts through him.

The Supervisor smiles as he watches.

Felix observes his prey. There’s still a burning flame of rebellion in the man’s eyes, but he doesn’t struggle. He isn’t stupid. He knows he’s all out of options now.

“This will go better for the both of us if you cooperate,” Felix tells the man carefully.

He waits for a response, but the prey only purses his lips tight. He has nothing more to say.

Felix takes this as his cue. Before he can lose his nerve, Felix slips a hand around the back of the man’s head and shoves it in his mouth. The prey immediately begins struggling.

Felix grimaces. This is the fourth time he’s consumed an unwilling prey and it’s just as difficult as the last three. But he can feel the Supervisor’s eyes boring into him, and he knows he can’t disappoint him. He can’t disappoint his father.

So he swallows, slowly and painfully dragging the man’s head into his body. And then he takes in the man’s shoulders. And then his torso. He feels a weird jolt when the man’s head finally enters his stomach. This prey is different than any other prey Felix has consumed before. He isn’t ever leaving that stomach alive.

It takes several long minutes, but Felix manages to force the rest of the man into his gut. His forehead is beaded with sweat as he takes his final swallow, sealing the man inside himself. He gasps as the man’s struggles increase tenfold, hitting any and all weak spots in his stomach’s lining with deadly precision.

Felix doubles over, grasping onto the chair in front of him for support. But he can’t deny how good it feels to be so blissfully full without neutralizers again.

Through his pain, he’s able to register the Supervisor approaching him and laying a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Son,” Supervisor says, “that was a hell of a job well done.”

Felix manages to turn his head and sees that the Supervisor actually looks... proud. Despite himself, this pleases Felix. At least all the pain was worth something.

“Thank you,” he says, his voice strained.

The Supervisor nods. “Normally, if you really were working here, you’d be expected to go on with work for the day,” the Supervisor explains. “But given the circumstances, I’ll give you the rest of your father’s shift to start digestion. You don’t need to be finished by the time he clocks out, but you can’t leave here with living prey in your gut. For security purposes, you understand.”

The Supervisor mistakes Felix’s sudden look of worry for one of disappointment.

“I know, I know. We’d all like to go home for the night and relax with some live prey, but if you decide to join us, the job pays for any prey you might desire when you’re off duty. So you’ll be able to relax with all the live prey you need and take your time with digestion. Believe me, once you get used to doing regular disposals, you’ll be glad for the extra, and more cooperative, prey on your off hours.”

He gives Felix a slap on the back which nearly knocks him off his feet and sets off a new round of struggles from his prey. “Take your time in here then come find me when you’re done, got it?”

Felix is only able to nod in response.

“Excellent. Now I have my own work to attend to. I’ll see you later.”

And then Felix is alone in the dim room.

He immediately falls into the chair. It’s not exactly pred size, so it’s far from comfortable, but it’s better than standing.

He closes his eyes and presses his hands into his belly. His abdominals have grown much stronger over the past four years. Consuming regularly has hardened them to the point where it no longer feels like he’s carrying a lead weight in his belly. But the type of consuming he’s grown accustomed to is nothing like this.

He isn’t used to constantly trying to control a prey fighting for its own survival. He isn’t used to trying to subdue its movement so he can have just one moment of peace. This type of consuming is a whole different ballgame.

And it’s beyond his control. He can’t back out now. The only thing he _can_ do is start digestion. He’s just not sure how.

He tightens his jaw.

The Supervisor had said that _not_ digesting was the hard part. In fact, everything Felix knows about consuming tells him that holding off digestion is the hardest part for preds who consume. So what makes him so special?

He closes his eyes and thinks. He thinks back to all the times he’s consumed without neutralizers. All the times he’s held back. But how? Why?

The “why” seems obvious to him. All those other prey had been innocent. They hadn’t deserved to be digested. Maybe that’s the answer to the “how” as well. Felix simply didn’t want to hurt an innocent, so he hadn’t.

But the prey he holds now? From what Felix knows, he’s far from innocent. He’s dangerous, a terrorist even. Of any prey Felix has ever held, this is one that could deserve the horrors of digestion.

Felix lets out a long breath. He needs to relax. His body knows what to do, he assures himself. By the way his stomach flexes around his prey, he’s sure his body _wants_ to do it too. He just needs to allow it.

His mind flashes back to Lilian. She’d wanted this, and she believed Felix wanted it too. He imagines her careful hands running over his belly, soothing his prey’s struggles with practiced precision.

He smiles to himself. Maybe he really does want this.

Suddenly and without warning, Felix’s stomach contracts of its own accord. He gasps as his eyes flutter open. Adrenaline and endorphins shoot from the pit of his stomach and all the way up his spine. He can’t hold back a quiet moan as warmth spreads across his entire body.

In that moment, he now understands why Lilian had wanted him to begin digestion when she did. For the first time, he regrets not listening to her.

He relaxes into his too small chair, feeling how his active stomach sets to work on its meal, revelling in the way his prey’s struggles escalate to a panic.

Felix’s eyes fall shut again and he allows his fingers to roam over the taut skin of his belly. He clings to this feeling, this newfound sensation, afraid to let it go.

A small trickle of fear slithers its way into the back of his mind. He’s not sure if he can go back after this, back to the deadness of his stomach on neutralizers, back to the discomfort of inevitable regurgitation.

Satisfaction smothers that fear in an instant. He doesn’t have to, he realizes with growing eagerness. This could be his job, his life. This could all be his. All he has to do is say, “yes.”

And after everything he’s just experienced, it’s the only answer he wants to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains - some fearplay; implied past physical abuse; vore - m/m, size difference, dubcon/semi-willing/reluctant pred, unwilling prey, mentions of fatal, fatal, beginnings of digestion


	18. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benji has finally settled into adult life when he gets a concerned call from his older brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Finally. The main story can commence! Here’s a nice low-key chapter before things pick up again.

The first thing Benji does upon graduating college is move away from his hometown. Not far away. But enough. Something about it doesn’t quite feel like... home anymore. Maybe it’s the shadow of the ever looming Facility, its threat made more real by Camille’s “accident” last semester. Maybe it’s the gaping hole that Felix’s absence has left in Benji’s life. Felix was easy to forget about in college but being back, driving down the roads they rode bikes down, passing the playground, seeing the shed in the backyard, it makes it much harder to forget. Or maybe it’s just that Benji has been looking at his past through rose-tinted glasses and being back finally let him see things clearly. Either way, it’s an unexpected weight off his chest when he leaves and starts anew.

Benji doesn’t call his new life perfect, but it’s enough. He has an apartment and a comfortably paying job in insurance. Working in an office has never been his dream job, but it has some benefits. Plus, it’s a good way to keep his head down and stay out of trouble.

He does his best to stay in contact with his family. But Brandon is busy planning his wedding with his new fiancée, Camille is knee deep in college work, and Stephanie is happy to finally be an only child.

Benji sees everyone only three times after he moves away. One year after his move, it’s at Brandon’s wedding. The year after that, it’s at Stephanie’s high school graduation. The very next year it’s Camille’s college graduation. Benji watches her face as she crosses the stage. She looks strangely detached. He wishes he could have been there for her longer after her accident, but he doesn’t have a chance to talk to her in private after the ceremony, to make sure she’s doing okay. Everyone is too busy with congratulations and pictures. After that day, Benji doesn’t see his family for another two years.

It’s because of this that Benji is surprised when his phone rings and he sees it’s Brandon’s name on the caller ID. It’s been five years since Benji moved. He can barely remember his older brother calling him before.

“Brandon?” Benji says in surprise when he picks up.

“Hey, Benji,” his brother’s familiar voice says on the other line. “How are things on your end?”

Still taken aback, Benji gives a brief rundown on his current circumstances. He talks about the interesting things happening at the office (it isn’t much) before turning the conversation back and asking Brandon the same.

Brandon’s answer is dull. Work is the same. His wife, Sarah, is five months pregnant and can’t decide which color to paint the new nursery. The whole time Benji feels like this isn’t why Brandon called. He’s about to ask what it is that Brandon really wants to talk about when his brother finally asks, “Have you heard from Camille lately?”

Benji is so unprepared for the question that he stutters over her name. “C-Camille? What do you mean?”

Benji can almost imagine Brandon shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. “I don’t know, Benji. There’s been something going on with her lately.”

“Something going on? Like what?”

“She’s felt... unusually distant. She goes off grid for long periods of time, absolutely impossible to contact her. And every time I _do_ talk to her, she continues to insist that she’s fine.” He pauses to sigh. “I know you’re probably busy with work and everything, but I know you two have always been close— closer than her and I, at least. If you could spare some vacation time to come down and see her and just... make sure she’s not in trouble.”

Benji is nodding before Brandon is even done explaining. He’s remembering Camille’s face at graduation and suddenly regretting not trying harder to talk to her then. Had Camille been suffering these past years and he had no idea? Brandon’s right. It’s very unlike Camille to suddenly be secretive and withdrawn.

“Yeah,” Benji confirms to his brother. “Yeah, I can come down. I’ll come down as soon as possible.”

“Thank you,” Brandon breathes with relief.

Two weeks later and Benji is dragging a suitcase through Brandon’s front door.

“It’s so good to see you,” Sarah says when he enters.

Benji gives her a friendly smile. A moment later, Brandon appears and pulls him into a hug.

“How soon do you think you can go see Camille?” Brandon asks once Benji is settled.

“As soon as I can,” Benji tells him.

Brandon seems pleased by this. He gives Benji Camille’s address.

“She doesn’t know you’re coming,” Brandon explains, handing him the address on a crumpled paper. “I was worried she’d disappear again if she did.”

“Don’t worry,” Benji tells him. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

It’s late afternoon when Benji knocks on Camille’s door. Her mouth falls open when she answers.

“Benji!” she exclaims. After a moment of gaping, a slow grin spreads across her tired face. “I can’t believe you’re here, come in!”

She pulls him inside and gives him a tight hug. Benji closes his eyes. It feels good to be reunited.

“I’ll make some tea,” Camille says once they pull apart. She guides him through the small house and into the kitchen.

They chat amicably while Camille sets the kettle and prepares the tea. Her home is modest but comfortable. Her presence itself settles something in Benji he didn’t know needed settling. Maybe it’s simply seeing her happy and healthy that calms his nerves. Brandon had made it sound like Camille was barely herself anymore. But that isn’t true. She’s still Camille. Perhaps older and a little different, but that’s to be expected.

“So,” Camille finally says, sliding Benji’s mug of tea across the table, “why are you really here?” She sits down and looks at him over her own mug expectantly.

Benji pulls his mug in close and sighs. Of course Camille is too smart to think his unexpected visit is anything other than simply for pleasure.

“Brandon sent me,” he says, putting it out in the open right away. “He’s worried about you, Camille. He says you’ve been acting... different lately.”

There’s a flash in Camille’s eyes, so fast Benji wonders if he imagined it.

“So he sent you to ask what’s going on,” she concludes.

“He says you won’t talk to him about it.”

Camille looks at her tea, lips tight.

“So there _is_ something going on?” Benji prods.

Camille takes a long sip. “It’s nothing bad,” she says slowly. “Just not something Brandon would understand.”

Benji narrows his eyes. “What about me?”

Camille looks up from her mug, eyes ablaze. “You might,” she says. “Once you know everything, I think you’d understand better than anyone.”

Her words make Benji shift uneasily. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s not easy to explain. I don’t think you’d be ready to accept it unless you really _saw_ it.”

Benji regards her incredulously. “Why don’t you try explaining it to me,” he tells her.

Camille frowns and taps the side of her mug. “Fine. Do you remember what happened to me freshman year?”

“Of course.” Benji could never forget.

Camille licks her lips before continuing. “It took me a long time to come to terms with that night,” she begins. “It scarred me. It made me lose trust in a lot of people. It left me lost and questioning everyone and everything around me. It took a lot of time to figure out how to deal with all those feelings, to channel them into something postive.”

Benji looks away, suddenly feeling guilty for being so absent. He takes a drink to cover his reaction.

“It took a lot of searching in the wrong places,” Camille continues. “It took a lot time, feeling like no one _really_ understood what I went through and how I felt. But in the end, I found my way to where I am now. All those wrong places led me to the right place. I feel like I finally have control over that one thing that happened to me, that one thing that’s defined me for so long. I feel like I’m finally strong and can make a difference.”

Benji risks a glance at her. “And that’s what’s made you so secretive? This new, right place where you make a difference?”

“In a way,” Camille says.

Benji feels a small knot of frustration. Camille’s done a lot of talking and very little explaining. “So what exactly about all this am I supposed to understand? What is it that Brandon supposedly _won’t_ understand?”

Camille takes another long draught. “Like I said, I can’t really explain it in a way that will make you fully understand. I can’t really tell you much at all, actually.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Benji challenges.

“Can’t,” Camille confirms. “But I can show you. If you’re free tonight, I can show you everything.”

Benji drinks his tea to stall for time. He’s wary, there’s no doubt of that. There’s a pit in his stomach telling him he’s not going to like what Camille has to show him. The same pit tells him that Camille’s secrecy might mean she’s in danger. He can’t allow that.

“Fine,” he agrees. “I’ll go with you tonight. Show me everything.”

Camille’s mouth curves into a smile and she takes a long, satisfied sip of tea


	19. A Place To Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camille lets Benji in on a dangerous secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shortish and mostly chill chapter. Next chapter there will be... a lil drama tho.

Benji shoots Brandon a quick text saying he’ll be back late, that he thinks he’s onto something with Camille. Other than that, he and Camille spend the rest of the afternoon catching up, having all the conversations they should have been having the past five years. Deep down, Benji is nervous for what Camille supposedly has to show him, so he’s glad for the distraction.

When night comes, it’s time for them to leave.

Benji’s mouth is dry as Camille drives them to the quiet part of town. They park behind a meeting hall, and Camille leads him down into the basement. The entrance is blocked by an intimidating prey man.

“Camille Marotta,” the man says, “who’s this?” He nods towards Benji.

“This is my brother,” Camille explains. “He’s looking to join.”  
“You vouch for him?”

“Absolutely. I trust him with my life.”

Benji is very much not looking to join and he is very unsure why his sister needs to vouch for him, but he keeps his mouth shut. He keeps telling himself all will be explained soon.

The inside of the basement is nicely finished and far more packed than Benji is expecting. Prey of all ages and backgrounds meander about, talking, laughing, scheming. It feels almost like a party. Almost. Nearby prey cast him furtive looks and there’s a serious undertone coursing throughout the room.

“What is this place?” Benji murmurs to Camille.

“This is the group I was talking about,” she answers. “The place I belong. The one that’s helped me.”

Before Benji can ask her to expand, she’s waving someone over. He appears to be an older man, though he moves with a sense of power and strength more befitting for someone much younger. He throws Benji the same suspicious look everyone else has been giving him, though the man relaxes a tad when Camille pulls him in for a greeting hug.

“Who is this?” the older man asks after pulling away from Camille.

Camille gestures towards Benji. “This is my older brother, Benji. I think he would be an excellent asset to the organization.”

Benji shakes the man’s hand, trying not to look as confused as he feels. He doesn’t like the way Camille just referred to him as an “asset.”

“Benji,” Camille says, “this is Arthur McMullen, leader of Epomis.”

Benji freezes. His hand falls limply away from the older man’s.

“ _This_ is Epomis?” he balks.

If this is what Camille’s been getting involved with, it’s no wonder she’s been acting strange and secretive. Epomis is a brutal extremist group that’s been rising in notoriety the past few years. Their self-proclaimed motto of, “Equality, by any means necessary,” plasters their propaganda, promoting an ideology with which a surprising amount of prey agree. Until recently, they’ve been mostly regarded as an unusually large fringe group. However, a year or so ago, they made their first big move of assassinating more than a few preds of influence. Their boldness spurred a sudden growth in their numbers, causing them to be reported as the nation’s current largest and most dangerous terrorist group.

If _these_ are the people Camille’s been getting involved with... Benji forces the thought from his mind.

“Yes,” McMullen confirms, “this is Epomis. Or, at least, one sect of many. But this is our main base of operations. We are ever growing.”

Benji looks between McMullen and Camille.

“And _you’re_ a part of this?” he asks his sister.

She nods.

“But... how?” It couldn’t have been easy. There’s a reason Epomis has been able to thrive in a pred dominated world. They’re secretive and very, very illusive.

“Do you remember how I told you that, after what happened to me, it took a long time for me to figure out how to channel my feelings in a positive way?” Camille asks. “How I ended up in a lot of wrong places before I found the right one?”

Benji already doesn’t like the direction Camille’s explanation is going but he nods anyway.

“That’s how it went,” Camille explains. “It started right after the incident. The group I joined, the one for prey who’d lost loved ones to consuming, it was... unhelpful to say the least. All words, no action. Everyone was too terrified or defeated to do anything but talk about how they felt. And no one felt like I felt. None of the others had gone though what I’d gone through, had come so close to becoming... well, prey. They didn’t understand what it was like for someone to be your friend one moment and an animal the next.

“So I asked around. I pushed until I found better groups. Groups where people really _did_ understand what I went through because they’d had similar experiences. It helped me come to terms with what happened. It gave me clarity, and that clarity brought with it the understanding that nothing would change unless someone did something about it.

“I think some of the others understood that too, but they weren’t ready to act. I was, and it scared them. That’s when I knew I had grown beyond my place there. Again, I searched and pushed. I talked to a lot of prey, shared my new ideals. Most of them were too scared, but some of them understood. They connected me with the right people. And those people connected me with even more people. Then finally word got around. Someone reached out. I’d gotten Epomis’ attention.

“Before I knew it, I was meeting Arthur and all the others. The people here listen to me. The people here have taught me so much. I found where I belong.”

For a long moment, Benji can only stare. Had his sister really been going through all this and he had no idea? Had he really grown so far apart from her? He scolds himself internally. He should have kept a closer eye on her, kept her from joining this... this cult. This terrorist organization.

“But you... you really believe all that?” he finally manages. “Epomis is, well—” he glances at McMullen. “It’s a lot. I know that night was awful for you, but what about all the friends you made in the Alliance before it was disbanded? That guy... Gary? Gordon? What about— what about—” Felix’s name catches on his tongue. If Camille knew the truth about why Benji’s friendship ended with him, Felix probably wouldn’t make a good example. So instead he says, “What about when you told me about preds and prey not living separate and in fear of each other anymore?”

Camille shifts on her feet and glances away for a moment. “In a way, I still believe that,” she says. “I just realize now that the way I believed back then was naive. Preds may put on a good show, they may even believe themselves that they can care for us like one of their own. But deep down, their brains just can’t completely see us as equals. At a base level, we’ll always simply be food to them.

“Which is why we need to fight to be seen as something more. Our deaths can’t be treated as simple pleasures to them anymore. We can’t just be prey living in a pred’s world anymore. They won’t respect us until we carve a place for ourselves here.”

Benji bites back a humorless laugh. “Yes, but Camille, Epomis _kills_ people.”

“Only people who support or advance causes that actively harm prey,” Camille shoots back. “And it’s not like preds don’t kill us every day. It’s not like there isn’t an entire industry built on selling us to preds to be killed. They target any prey desperate enough to sign their life away, and it’s no accident that there are _always_ prey desperate enough to sign. It’s no accident that there are so many prey who struggle to get by while preds live in wealth. They _want_ it like that. They _made_ it like that.”

“Camille,” Benji splutters, “you’re making it sound like all preds are evil and conspiring or something. Like they’re _all_ out to get us, when you know that’s not true.”

Camille raises a brow. “Do I?”

Benji draws breath to retort.

“I can see you aren’t completely sure about our point of view,” McMullen interrupts smoothly. “But tell me, Benji, have you ever had an experience with a pred you thought you trusted? Or witnessed an event that made you feel distrustful or fearful of preds.”

Benji stiffens, caught off guard by the sudden question. He tries to cover his reaction, but it’s too late.

“Ahh,” McMullen says, “so you have.”

The fierceness drains from Camille’s face and is quickly replaced with concern. “What? What do you mean? What happened?”

Benji looks away, heat rising in his cheeks. “It’s nothing,” he murmurs.

He feels a strong hand on his shoulder and raises his eyes to see McMullen regarding him seriously. “Go on, Benji,” the older man says. “It’s safe for you to share here.”

That’s not what Benji’s concerned about, but he doesn’t think he can get away with keeping his secret to himself anymore.

“I was... consumed by a pred once,” he admits. He’s never said the words out loud before.

“ _What?_ ” Camille nearly shouts. A few people nearby turn their heads. “Oh my god, Benji. When? Why did you never tell me?”

“It was a long time ago,” he says, waving a dismissive hand. “And they released me right after. It was just a momentary lapse. They didn’t mean it.”

But McMullen is already shaking his head. “How many times have you told yourself that?” he asks. “How long have you been trying to convince yourself that it was a one time blip?”

Benji doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to.

“You know like we all know,” McMullen says. “We’ll never be safe until we gain true equality by any means necessary.”

Benji grinds his teeth, wishing he had a better defense. If he can’t argue against McMullen’s sweeping, self-assured statements, then there’s no way he’ll be able to convince Camille to leave.

McMullen must sense Benji’s reluctance because he says, “Why don’t you sit in on our meeting? Then you’ll see what we’re really all about. In the meantime, Camille can show you around, introduce you to a few other members. I’m sure you have more in common with us than you think.”

Camille turns to Benji, eager, her earlier righteous fury quelled for the moment.

Benji is lost for excuses. All he can do is nod while Camille excitedly pulls him away from McMullen. The leader of Epomis watches Benji as he goes.


	20. Golden Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benji attends his first Epomis meeting and learns something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! There will be a link at the end of the story under “inspired works,” but I wanted to tell you here that this past week [soggyramen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soggyramen/pseuds/soggyramen) wrote a one-shot Heart Pangs fic, which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743260). Please check it out, leave kudos, comment, etc. It’s very good!

The members of Epomis are varied. Benji meets an old man who’s lost both his daughters to prey contracts, one public and one private. There’s a young woman who rambles to him about the history of preds and prey and how the centuries of disparity means the two sides likely won’t see true equality in her lifetime, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get as close as possible to that goal while she still lives. 

At some point, Camille introduces Benji to a tough looking man who’s, “been consumed and cut his way out fives times now.” The man explains how he’s been teaching other members his techniques in case they’re ever in a similar situation.

“If you join us, you’re welcome to these lessons as well,” the man offers.

Benji responds with an uncomfortable smile. “Thanks. I’ll consider it.”

The more Epomis members Benji meets, the less accusatory glares he gets, which he is grateful for. Everyone there seems to know and respect Camille. He suspects this gives him a leg up when it comes to winning any sort of approval from the members. However, after a seemingly unending stream of new faces and tragic stories, Benji is ready for a break.

He slinks off to the side of the room and leans against the wall, taking a minute to breathe. A moment later, Camille is at his side.

“So,” she says and Benji can hear the wariness in her voice, “what do you think?”

Benji lets out a slow breath as he gathers his thoughts. “It’s certainly a lot to take in,” he tells her carefully.

“I know,” she replies. “I’m sorry I couldn’t really prepare you better, but you understand now why I couldn’t, right?”

Benji nods. He wouldn’t have wanted to come if he had known more. He doesn’t necessarily want to be here now, though he keeps that thought to himself. Instead he says, “So this is everything you wanted me to see?” He gestures to the people spreadabout the room. “Everything that would make me understand?” Even as he says the words, he can hear the doubt in his voice. The tales of the Epomis members are moving, but he’s still not convinced.

He thinks Camille must hear it too because she drops her gaze and mutters, “Not quite everything.”

Benji glances at her curiously. “Then what’s missing?”

Camille licks her lips like she’s considering telling him, then she eases back and raises her eyes to the ceiling. “You’ll learn during the meeting. It’s better that way.”

Benji has half a mind to press her further, but he knows Camille. Her mind is set. She won’t tell him anything more. So instead he shuts his mouth and silence falls between them.

After a minute, he feels Camille watching him from the corner of her eye.

“Do you want to talk about being consumed?” she asks quietly.

Benji tries not to balk. “No,” he says more harshly than he means to.

Thankfully, Camille seems to understand. “I know it must have been terrifying,” she tells him softly. “I didn’t even make it all the way down when it happened to me, and I still have nightmares.”

Benji grits his teeth. He hates that he’s spent a decade shoving that memory to the back of his mind and the first time he ever speaks of it out loud is within Epomis of all places.

“It’s nothing,” he cuts back. “It happened a long time ago.”

Camille’s face turns, her lips slightly parted. There’s a calculating look in her eyes and a question on her tongue, but she doesn’t get a chance to ask it.

“Attention, everybody!” McMullen’s voice cuts through the din of ambient conversation. “Please, take a seat. The meeting is about to begin.”

Camille’s face drops so quickly Benji wonders if he’d imagined the look.

“Come on,” she says over the bustle of everyone migrating towards McMullen. “We should hurry if we want good seats.”

It takes several minutes, but finally everyone is seated amongst several rows of plastic fold out chairs. They face McMullen who stands at the front of the room. The wall behind him is illuminated from an overhead projector. The rest of the lights have been turned off.

“Greetings, friends,” McMullen says after an expectant hush falls over the room. “I know it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to risk gathering en masse like this. It’s so good to see everyone’s faces again, including the new ones.”

Benji _knows_ that he met McMullen earlier that night, but seeing him in front of a crowd is like seeing a new person. The air is thick with admiration and respect from every Epomis member, and it’s easy to understand why. McMullen’s presence is assured yet strong. His voice is warm enough that he feels like an old friend but powerful enough that he still feels somewhat out of reach, more like an icon than a real person.

“As our numbers grow, so do our capabilities,” McMullen continues. “Our plans are growing evermore possible. They are also ever changing. For the benefit of old members, as well as the new, I’d like to take this time to explain and clarify Epomis’ goals and targets.”

The projection behind McMullen flickers to life, and suddenly Benji is immersed in a meticulously prepared slideshow that covers everything Epomis stands for, from general beliefs to more specific plans. McMullen lays out the leaders of the country. Links like spiderwebs connect them all, all color coded by importance. The president sits directly at the center.

McMullen’s plan to infiltrate and morph the leadership into something prey dominated is complex. Tasks range from small things like intercepting mail or sabotaging vehicles to more dangerous missions like kidnappings and assassinations. And it’s not just preds he wants to target. He shares a list pred-friendly prey as well. “Blood traitors.” McMullen hisses the name like a curse.

McMullen’s plans make Benji’s stomach roil. Epomis has goals far grander than he’d ever considered, and the way McMullen speaks makes them sound entirely within reach. Benji fears for Camille. From the look he sneaks at her face, he can tell she’s willing to do whatever McMullen might ask of her.

Benji does have to hand it to McMullen. The man is clearly smart, very calculating. He’s gathered information that Benji wouldn’t think was important and weaved it into something useful. Benji watches in gross fascination as brief profiles of important government officials flash across the screen. He learns the governor’s aunt used to have a consuming addiction, that a board member of one of the prey contracting companies has a sister who lives only two hours away.

McMullen pauses in his presentation to look over those gathered. “Of course, these targets are for Epomis as a whole,” he says with a nod. “This here is but one sect of many. I know everyone here understands they have roles on both a large _and_ small scale. I’d like to take the rest of this time to discuss our sect’s _local_ responsibilities and top priority.”

The screen flashes and suddenly there are only two words projected. “The Facility.”

The atmosphere changes immediately. Here the Facility is more substantial a threat than any spiderweb of politicians. Here the Facility is like a haunted house, a ghost tale that only becomes more real the older one gets. The Facility is a tangible force that this sect can fight against, and it’s clear that everybody is willing to do battle.

“Everyone who works at the Facility is evil, of course,” McMullen begins. “It’s the most unorthodox prison in the country, a pathetic excuse for preds to indulge themselves ‘legally.’ Prey are thrown in there for the tiniest of offenses, particularly ones that personally offend any pred in power.” He lets the words sink in as his dark eyes harden. “And the only way out is in the gut of a hungry predator.”

The room becomes restless as several people shift in their seats.

“So we’ll start at the top,” McMullen says, quelling the noise. A new slide fills the screen behind him. It’s another profile, this one featuring a middle aged man with carefully combed back dark pepper hair and cold, grey eyes staring into the camera.

“Simeon Bakula,” McMullen announces. “Head Supervisor of the Facility and our top priority. He’s run the place efficiently and without mercy for well over thirty years. It’s because of his leadership that the Facility has been able to become what it is today.”

Benji feels a chill run down his spine as he reads over the information on the Supervisor’s profile. He’s a Master Extractor and Disposer, his digestion rate is unknown but likely quick and precise, no known home address, no known living relatives, no known leisure activities. The only thing Epomis has on the man is that he’s deadly.

“Taking down Bakula would be a huge victory against the Facility,” McMullen explains. “Several years ago, doing so may have even been enough to severely weaken the Facility as a whole, but unfortunately, about five years ago, Bakula took on a protégé. Intel informs us that he’s been grooming him to one day take over the Facility.”

The slideshow clicks to a new profile. “Felix ‘Lux’ Feuerbach,” McMullen reads. “Supervisor Bakula’s golden boy and our second highest priority within the Facility.”

Benji doesn’t remember moving, but suddenly he’s on his feet. The floor feels as if it’s tilting beneath him. Everyone’s eyes are on him, but he can’t find the will to care.

“Is everything alright, Benji?” McMullen’s voice cuts through the sudden hush.

For several long seconds, all Benji can do is stammer and point uselessly at the image on the screen. He reads the information on the profile as if he’s in a dream, “Master Extractor, Master Disposer, excellent and precise digestion control, current Facility record holder for fastest digestion, known frequent patron of consuming dens.” A home address is listed as well as Mr. and Mrs. Feuerbach’s names and their home address, the same address at which Benji grew up visiting and sleeping over.

“Is this real?” Benji says, the words coming from his mouth unbidden. When he doesn’t get an immediate answer, he tears his eyes away from the screen and turns on Camille, still seated and looking up at him with a pitying expression. “Camille, is this... is this...” Something in Benji’s mind clicks into place. “This is what you wanted me to see?” he breathes.

All Camille can do is nod.

Benji looks back to the picture.

It’s him. Ten years older but definitely him. Felix looks into the camera with a cocky half-smile, a level of confidence oozing from him that Benji has never seen before.

“Benji,” McMullen speaks up, “is there something about Lux Feuerbach you have to say?”

“I—” Benji grips the back of the chair in front of him. “I know him.”

A quiet buzz arises at his words.

“He’s the pred I was talking about earlier,” Benji goes on, not quite sure why, but it’s too late to stop now. “The one who consumed and released me.”

The room goes dead silent.

Next to him, Benji hears Camille suck in a quick breath and murmur, “Benji...”

“You... were consumed by Lux Feuerbach,” McMullen says slowly. “And you survived?”

Benji manages a nod.

“Lux never releases his prey,” he hears someone whisper in the crowd.

Benji grips the chair before him even tighter as he sways on his feet. “I— I need to get some air,” he spits.

Camille moves to stand. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” Benji tell her, more aggressively than he intends to. “I need to be alone.”

Pushing his way between chairs and jutting knees feels as agonizingly slow as wading through quicksand, but finally he manages it. He all but sprints out of the room. The bouncer at the door shouts something after him, but he ignores it.

The cool night air is a welcome sensation. Benji gasps it in until he feels like he’s standing on solid ground again. He leans against the rough stone of the building behind him. The cold of it further grounds him.

It’s his fault, Benji realizes once he’s able to put more than two thoughts together. He shouldn’t have abandoned Felix at the first sign of danger. His friend had been scared and in pain and Benji had left him at the drop of a hat. He should have stayed. He should have helped Felix work through everything. The risk would have been worth it if it had kept Felix from turning into... into _this_.

A presence slides in next to Benji.

“I know you said you needed to be alone—” Camille starts.

“No,” Benji cuts her off. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I think I do need the company.”

There’s a long silence between them.

“That’s why you stopped seeing each other,” Camille finally says. “That night when you came home so late and took a shower right away and your cheeks were so red....”

“Yes,” Benji breathes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Benji looks at her. He can still picture her back then. Only fourteen, about to start high school, so young and full of trust.

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Then, after a moment of consideration, he adds, “And I didn’t want you to think badly of Felix.”

Camille lets out a biting laugh that makes Benji’s chest tighten.

“Well, it’s a little late for that now,” she says.

“I should have told you,” Benji determines. “Maybe not right away, but after everything with... with the incident. You were alone and looking for someone who understood how you felt. I could have been there for you, been someone you could have talked to. Maybe you wouldn’t have ended up here of all places.”

“Benji.” Camille puts a hand on his shoulder. “Please, don’t blame yourself for my choices. It’s okay. What happened brought me here and here is where I belong. I only wish I knew back then so I could have been there for _you_. God, after all you went through, and there I was, a dumb freshman, lecturing you about preds and prey and living in harmony when you _knew_. You already knew far before me.”

Benji presses his lips together. He doesn’t feel like he knows anything anymore.

“How... how long have you known?” he asks. “How long have you known about Felix?”

“About a year.”

“And why didn’t you tell _me?_ ”

Camille meets his eyes then, her expression set. “You know why.”

Benji grits his teeth because she’s right. He does know.

“Have you ever tried to make any sort of contact with him?”

Camille recoils, her face darkening. “Of course not,” she says. “And I would suggest you don’t either. I know it’s hard to hear, but the Felix we knew when we were kids... he’s gone, Benji. All that’s left of him are memories. There’s nothing wrong with treasuring those memories, but you need to understand, the person Felix is now, he would consume you and _wouldn’t_ let you back out. And he would _enjoy_ it. He’s not your friend, Benji. Don’t expect any special treatment from him.”

Benji doesn’t reply. He doesn’t trust his voice not to betray the lump in his throat.

“We should go back inside,” Camille says after a long moment.

Benji nods his consent and follows her back in. The bouncer gives them both an odd look but lets them pass without trouble.

As soon as Benji is inside, he’s swarmed by people pressing in on him from all sides, each wanting to know more about Felix, or Lux Feuerbach as they refer to him. Before Benji can gather himself for a response, McMullen pushes his way though, wraps a strong arm around his shoulder, and steers Benji away from everyone.

“I’m sorry,” he tells Benji when they’re free from the crowd’s interrogation. “It’s just that Lux has been such a plague to this community. Our own personal boogie man, if you will. It’s... surprising that you encountered him personally and survived to tell the tale.”

“Did Camille not tell you she knew him?”

McMullen considers this. “She said she knew him as a child, which isn’t surprising considering her age and where she grew up. But she didn’t expand anymore on it than that. She didn’t say she had a brother who we could potentially use against him.”

McMullen looks at him pointedly. Benji thinks he’s expecting a response but his mouth is suddenly too dry to speak.

So McMullen plows on. “I think you sister was right, Benji. You _would_ make a great asset to this organization... if you were to join us, of course.”

McMullen’s gaze lingers expectantly on Benji.

Benji hesitates. “Can I think about it?”

McMullen nods. “But don’t take too long. We need all the help we can get.”

A few minutes later and Benji is sitting in Camille’s car again, heading back to her house. She doesn’t stop talking for a minute about Epomis and all that they’ve accomplished, all that they’re going to accomplish. Benji can barely get a word in edgewise, let alone a chance to convince her to leave.

Not that he thinks he’ll be able to change her mind. He can tell that she’s set in her decision. He can tell that she won’t back down from what she believes. Which only leaves two options.

Leave Camille to her own devices and return to his life the way it was. She’s strong. She’ll most likely survive.

Or stay and watch out for her.

Benji looks at Camille and the way the passing headlights highlight her face.

He already knows the answer. He won’t abandon her again.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Promise Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743260) by [soggyramen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soggyramen/pseuds/soggyramen)




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